The release of hit albums by popular artists such as Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and others may be linked to an increase in traffic fatalities, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School. The study found that on days when popular albums were released, an average of 18 additional people were killed on U.S. roads.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, examined traffic fatality data in the United States around the release dates of 10 of the most-streamed albums on Spotify between 2017 and 2022. The researchers calculated that the 10 releases studied were associated with about 182 additional traffic deaths. For the study, the researchers used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a U.S. database of fatal traffic crashes, and examined the number of fatalities during the 10 days before and after each album's release.
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Taylor Swift's Midnights topped the list, with nearly 185 million streams on its first day
(Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP)
The research team estimates that the cognitive load caused by listening to unfamiliar music, combined with scrolling through playlists on smartphones, may dangerously distract drivers. According to the findings, traffic fatalities increase by 15% on days when new albums are released.
The study found that music streams increased by 43% — from an average of 86.1 million to 123.3 million streams — on days when high-profile albums were released, before falling by about 30% during the 10 days following a release. Taylor Swift's Midnights topped the list, with nearly 185 million streams on its first day, Oct. 21, 2022, while Harry Styles' Harry's House was streamed nearly 100 million times upon its release.
The idea for the study, it turns out, was prompted by a near-crash experienced by lead researcher Dr. Vishal Patel himself. He said that after a Taylor Swift album was released, his wife sent him a message with recommendations for new songs.
Harry Styles' Harry's House was streamed nearly 100 million times upon its release
(Photo: GettyimaesIL)
"I was driving, started scrolling through Spotify to find them, and looked up to find myself drifting out of my lane," he said. Patel, who had already worked with the federal database of fatal traffic crashes, realized that no one had previously examined album-release days, "one of the few moments when millions of people reach for their phones at once for something other than texting."
Patel, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, explained: "There's the manual part - unlocking the phone, opening the app, scrolling a new tracklist, tapping the right song - which takes eyes off the road and a hand off the wheel. That's several seconds of looking at a screen instead of the road. Unfamiliar music demands more attention than a playlist you've heard a hundred times. Notably, the increase in fatalities was actually larger in cars equipped with CarPlay, which suggests that making streaming easier to reach may increase how often drivers interact with it, even if each interaction is safer."
However, the study does not prove that the release of a new album by Swift, Drake or any other artist causes traffic crashes. The researchers also said they cannot determine with certainty that smartphone use was a factor in the crashes. But they found that the pattern of fatalities on album-release days was more consistent with distraction than with other factors.
However, the study does not prove that the release of a new album causes traffic crashes. Bad Bunny
(Photo: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
On those days, more deaths were recorded among drivers traveling alone, younger drivers, drivers who were not under the influence of alcohol and drivers traveling during daylight hours in clear weather. According to the researchers, these patterns suggest that alcohol, drugs or fatigue do not explain the increase.
"That's the fingerprint you'd expect from distraction, and roughly the opposite of what impairment or fatigue would produce," Patel added.
The research team also accounted for the days of the week on which albums were released. Many albums are released on Fridays, when traffic crashes generally increase as the weekend approaches. But even after accounting for the typical Friday increase, the researchers still found an increase in fatalities.
Among the albums examined, Her Loss by Drake and 21 Savage was associated with the largest increase in fatalities
(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Other prominent albums included in the study that may have been accompanied by an increase in road deaths were Drake's Certified Lover Boy and Scorpion, Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti and Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Swift's 2021 re-recording of Red and her 2020 album Folklore were also included.
Among the albums examined, Her Loss by Drake and 21 Savage was associated with the largest increase in fatalities, followed by Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale and Bad Bunny's Un Verano Sin Ti. Kanye West's Donda was the only one of the 10 albums associated with a decrease in fatalities.
The researchers said music platforms could do more to raise drivers' awareness of the dangers. They also urged drivers to choose and start their music before beginning a trip, or have other passengers in the car handle music selection, to avoid distraction.