For most motorists in the UK, turning on the radio or selecting a playlist is as much a part of the driving ritual as fastening a seatbelt. Whether it's a curated soundtrack for a long journey or a loud tune to combat stressful traffic, music is a constant companion for more than 80% of drivers on most trips. Many younger drivers, in particular, report finding it hard to concentrate without some background sound.
The Science Behind the Soundtrack
While we might believe music relaxes or energises us at the wheel, scientific studies present a far more complex picture. Decades of research, often using sophisticated driving simulators, show that music can simultaneously sharpen and dull different aspects of driving performance. In these controlled studies, participants navigate realistic road scenarios while researchers alter only the audio conditions, allowing them to precisely measure effects on speed, reaction times, lane discipline, and even simulated collisions.
To make sense of often conflicting individual studies, scientists use meta-analyses to identify broader trends. This pooled evidence indicates that, compared to driving in silence, listening to music tends to result in more simulated collisions, poorer control over speed, and less stable following distances. Other factors, like lane position or signalling errors, show more mixed results.
Critically, music frequently alters a driver's physiological state. It changes the driver's heart rate, making it more variable, and increases both mental arousal and workload—essentially how mentally 'busy' the driver feels while trying to manage the primary task of driving.
Volume, Tempo, and Choice: What Really Matters?
The impact of music isn't uniform; it depends heavily on its characteristics and the driver's relationship to it. Volume plays a subtle but consistent role: high and medium volumes tend to nudge speeds slightly upward, while low-volume music leads to slower driving.
The type of music is equally significant. While fast-tempo music has a bad reputation, meta-analyses show tempo alone doesn't neatly predict safety for the average driver. However, individual studies suggest that very high-arousal, aggressive tracks can push some drivers toward riskier behaviour and increase error rates.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the music you choose yourself is generally less distracting than music imposed on you. Drivers often self-select music to regulate their mood, which can stabilise their driving. Conversely, experiments show that researcher-selected music—especially tracks the driver dislikes—leads to poorer performance, including more collisions and violations.
Inexperienced Drivers Are Most at Risk
A key finding from the research is that inexperienced drivers are far more vulnerable to musical distraction than their seasoned counterparts. One study focusing on drivers aged 20 to 28 found that less-experienced drivers were significantly more disrupted by music, particularly upbeat 'happy' tracks, which made them much more likely to start speeding. Experienced drivers did not show this effect, suggesting their skills act as a buffer.
Further experiments revealed that exposing young drivers to aggressive genres like metal led to higher speeds, more errors, and reduced attention to road signs. For novices, fast-tempo music increased mental load and reduced their ability to spot hazards, slowing their responses. In contrast, slow music did not raise their cognitive load and even moderately improved hazard response times.
So, what does this mean for your daily commute or road trip? For most, familiar songs, calmer genres, and moderate volumes create the least interference while maintaining alertness and a positive mood. However, if you are a newer driver, consider turning the volume down or switching the music off entirely in demanding conditions like heavy traffic, complex junctions, or poor weather. The science suggests that sometimes, the safest playlist might be silence.
This analysis is based on work by Milad Haghani, an Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience at the University of Melbourne, originally published by The Conversation on Monday 29 December 2025.
