From Drake to Billie Eilish to Harry Styles, musicians that help you stay focused at the wheel

(From left)Harry Styles, Drake and Billie Eilish. Hip-hop could be the musical genre most conducive to attentive driving, according to a British study. Image: Getty Images

Many motorists like to listen to music while driving, but this can become a source of distraction. However, a British study suggests that listening to certain artists can help us to concentrate while at the wheel.

The online marketplace AutoTrader came to this conclusion by conducting an experiment with 17 volunteers. The volunteers were asked to perform a road risk perception test while listening to music by big names such as Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Bach. The researchers measured their ability to identify potentially dangerous situations and gave them a score out of 75.

It turns out that motorists were better able to identify the dangers they faced on the road when listening to Drake's musical repertoire. According to AutoTrader, his tracks "Passionfruit" and "In My Feelings" particularly helped drivers to anticipate perilous situations, such as emergency braking.

Ariana Grande and Eminem could also be valuable allies in the car, since study participants who listened to these artists at the wheel scored a respectable 58.5 out of 75. The songs "Thank U, next," "7 Rings," "The Real Slim Shady" and "Stan" are said to have helped them concentrate better on the road.

Choose hip-hop over classical

Generally speaking, hip-hop seems to be the style most conducive to staying focused while driving. Half of the artists featured in AutoTrader's top 10 belong to this musical genre. Pop appears to have similar virtues, thanks to artists such as Billie Eilish (No. 4) and Harry Styles (No. 9).

You might expect the classical repertoire to have the same effect on motorists' driving, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Bach's compositions didn't help drivers score well on the risk perception test.

Of course, the results of this study should be treated with caution. Music in the car can be a distracting factor, whatever the genre. Listening at an excessive volume is not compatible with the concentration required for driving. What's more, it's essential to listen via a loudspeaker. Earphones and headphones must not be used while driving. If you respect these rules, feel free to listen to the music playlist of your choice during your road trips. Just make sure you don't get carried away by what you're listening to.

The top 10 artists most likely to promote concentration at the wheel:

1. Drake
2. Ariana Grande
3. Eminem
4. Billie Eilish
5. BTS
6. The Weeknd
7. Beyoncé
8. Foo Fighters
9. Harry Styles
10. The 1975