The Xmas songs you shouldn't listen to while driving

LONDON: Many music lovers get into the holiday mood by listening to festive songs, whether in their homes, on public transport or in the car.

But it seems that some of these Christmas hits can be more dangerous than others when it comes to listening while driving.

The Auto Trader website analysed more than 140 popular Christmas songs to find out whether some are more suitable for listening to while driving than others.

In particular, it relied on their BPM (beats per minute), the unit of measurement used to determine tempo.

Previous studies have shown that fast-paced tracks with a tempo in excess of 120 BPM can be detrimental to driving. They are said to encourage drivers to be more reckless behind the wheel, thereby increasing the risk of road accidents.

Among the songs analysed, Ariana Grande's "Last Christmas" was found to have the highest BPM.

According to Auto Trader's experts, this cover version of Wham!'s famous hit could be unsuitable for listening to in the car. Shakin' Stevens' "Merry Christmas Everyone" and Andy Williams' "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" are also very catchy, but both of these songs are in the 200-beats-per-minute range, and can therefore affect drivers' concentration.

On the contrary, some holiday classics are particularly well suited to driving.

Such is the case of "Carol of the Bells" by Mykola Leontovych.

This Christmas carol, which features in the movie, "Home Alone;" has a tempo of 47 beats per minute. Listening to it while driving can be a good way to get into the festive mood, without risking losing sight of the road and other motorists.

"Do You Hear What I Hear" by Idina Menzel and "Blue Christmas" by Norah Jones are also good choices, as is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee.

In any case, feel free to play the Christmas songs of your choice at a reasonable volume while driving.

Just make sure that they don't distract you from the other sounds of the road that require your attention, or reduce your reaction time in an emergency.

That's why softer, more relaxing tunes are generally recommended.

Auto Trader's ranking of the 10 Christmas songs least suitable for listening to while driving:

1 - "Last Christmas" by Ariana Grande

2 - "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin’ Stevens

3 - "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams

4 - "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande

5 - "Just Like Christmas" by Low

6 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland

7 - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Legend

7 - "Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea

9 - "Wonderful Time" by Diana Ross

10 - "Frosty the Snowman" by Jimmy Durante

10 - "In Dulci Jubilo"

10 - "If We Make It Through December" by Phoebe Bridgers