A major music release day car crashes study from Harvard Medical School has found that fatal road accidents rise significantly on days when high-profile albums and singles drop. The music release day car crashes study, published by the US National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), links the spike to distracted driving caused by a surge in music streaming activity.
Music Release Day Car Crashes Study: The Data
The study compared Spotify streaming figures with traffic fatality data between 2017 and 2022, focusing on the release dates of the 10 most-streamed albums and singles during that period.
A 15 Percent Increase in Fatal Collisions
According to the findings, fatal road accidents increased by 15 percent on major music release days. Researchers estimate that this equates to around 182 additional fatalities compared with the US national average during the same timeframe.
Single-Occupant Vehicles Most Affected
The data also showed that the rise in fatalities was more pronounced in single-occupant vehicles. Researchers suggested that passengers may help reduce distraction by managing streaming devices or assisting with music selection.
The Friday Release Factor
Many major music releases take place on Fridays. However, the music release day car crashes study found that fatalities remained elevated on album-release Fridays compared with the Fridays immediately before and after, indicating the increase couldn’t be explained by weekend behaviour alone.
Smartphone Use and Streaming Distractions
The report found that smartphone usage increased by 40 percent on major album release days in the US. Collisions were also more likely to occur when drivers attempted to control music streaming through voice commands or device interaction.
You can read the full study here.