When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. All I wanted to do was crank up the radio and enjoy my first taste of freedom. Unfortunately, when I got behind the wheel, I was in for a nasty shock. My parents had disabled the car’s combination radio/cassette tape deck.

My immature teenage brain went into a tailspin. How dare they take away my music? I was a safe driver – well, safe enough. My grades were consistently good, and while I was far from perfect, I thought I deserved to listen to Shania Twain on the way to choir practice. (“Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”)

As it turns out, my parents might not have been wrong. Confused.com, a car insurance comparison website based in the UK, did an experiment that measured how driving styles were affected by music. Drivers listening to fast-paced music tended to drive faster and be more aggressive than drivers listening to slower-tempo music. Heavy metal was the most dangerous genre for male drivers, and hip hop was the most dangerous for female drivers.

Confused.com included a playlist of 50 songs that they recommended as safe driving music which included “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What songs do you love to listen to on the road? Would you change your playlist from heavy metal to easy listening if it made you a safer driver? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

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Image courtesy of Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net