Study Links Major Album Releases to 15% Rise in Fatal Crashes
Researchers found about 18 extra deaths on major album release days, linking the rise to smartphone streaming and distracted driving.
- Researchers at Harvard Medical School found a 15.1% relative increase in U.S. traffic fatalities on the launch dates of top-streamed music albums compared to surrounding days.
- The study analyzed five years of national crash registries alongside Spotify streaming metrics, focusing on the 10 most-streamed album releases from 2017 through 2022, including works by Taylor Swift, Drake, and Bad Bunny.
- Daily U.S. music streaming volume surged by 43% on album drop dates, correlating with an average jump from 121 daily traffic fatalities on control days to 139 deaths on release days.
- Authors attributed the elevated risk primarily to visual, cognitive, and physical distractions caused by drivers searching for new releases, browsing tracklists, and interacting with mobile devices while operating a vehicle.
- The surge in deadly collisions was most pronounced among younger drivers, male drivers, sober individuals, and people driving alone.
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69 Articles
Why a new Taylor Swift or Kanye West song can distract you behind the wheel
A new study found a 15.1% rise in traffic fatalities on major album-release days. Psychiatrist explains why the danger may not be the music itself, but the attention it demands when you’re driving, affecting your cognitive abilities
Car crash deaths spike on days that big albums are released, study finds
Traffic fatalities are more common on days that new albums from megastars are released, a new study finds. Researcher suspect this increase is due to drivers being distracted by their attempts to play new music from their phones.
The urgency to listen immediately to the latest themes of successful artists becomes a fatal distraction for young drivers and people travelling alone
On days of big music releases, American streets are crawling measurably more often. Doctors see the cause in desperate handling with music apps at the wheel. But there are safe alternatives.
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