A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School has found that major music album releases are linked to a rise in fatal car crashes. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at 10 of the biggest album releases between 2017 and 2022, including albums by Taylor Swift, Drake, and Harry Styles. The researchers used these events as a kind of natural experiment to measure how increased smartphone music use affects driving safety. According to Dr Vishal Patel, the lead author, it is difficult to study distracted driving because drivers rarely admit to using their phones before a crash.
The team found that music streaming increased by 43% on album release dates compared to surrounding days. They then compared traffic fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the release days against the 10 days before and after each album launch. After accounting for factors like day of the week and holidays, the researchers discovered that fatal crashes were 15.1% higher on these release dates. This translates to approximately 182 additional road deaths connected to the 10 albums studied.
Dr Patel explained that accessing new music is not a simple action but a multi-step process requiring several seconds of screen attention. The risk was found to be higher among young drivers, male drivers, and those driving alone. Dr Patel urged drivers to complete any phone tasks before starting their journeys. The study highlights how smartphone use while driving continues to pose serious risks, even for seemingly harmless activities like listening to music.