Major album releases by some of the world's biggest music stars are linked to an increase in fatal traffic crashes in the United States, according to a Harvard University study examining road deaths between 2017 and 2022.
Researchers analyzed 233,809 traffic fatalities during the six-year period and found that the rate of fatal crashes increased by 15.1% on days when major albums were released on streaming platforms. That translated into an additional 18 deaths on each such day.
"The number of traffic deaths was significantly higher on major music album release days than during the 10 days before and after," the study found.
The researchers examined 10 prominent albums released in the United States between 2017 and 2022, including Taylor Swift's Midnights, Harry Styles's Harry's House, and Drake's Certified Lover Boy.
The musicians themselves are not to blame, of course. Rather, the findings provide further evidence of the effect that mobile phone use and listening to music can have in distracting drivers from the road.
Dr. Vishal Patel, one of the study's authors, said the release of a new album could distract drivers because accessing music involves a search process rather than simply pressing a single button.
"You open your phone, open the app, find the song, read a song list, tap the right song. That's several seconds of looking at the screen."
Cars with Apple CarPlay had increase in crashes
Another surprising finding was that the increase in crashes was recorded, among other places, in cars equipped with Apple CarPlay connectivity. The system entered the market as early as 2016, ahead of Android Auto, and connects a mobile phone to a vehicle's audio system. Such applications are generally considered tools that reduce risk by limiting the need to use a phone screen directly.
According to Patel, unfamiliar music may itself demand more attention from drivers. New songs are also often played at higher volume, he said, which can further weaken a driver's connection to what is happening on the road.
The researchers' recommendation is straightforward: If there is a passenger in the vehicle, let that person handle the music.
The advice, however, does not solve the problem for people driving alone, who may still be tempted to search for, select, or switch tracks while behind the wheel.