Major album releases linked to 15% rise in traffic deaths, study finds

A new US study has found a link between the release of major albums and a rise in traffic deaths. According to the study, traffic fatalities increased by 15.1% on the dates of major album releases compared to similar days surrounding the releases.

The study focused on the release of 10 major albums between 2017 and 2022, selected for having the highest number of Spotify streams over a single day. The researchers found that streaming volume for the top 200 songs in the US was 43% higher on the date of major album releases compared to the days surrounding the releases, according to Slashdot.

The study's authors, including Vishal Patel from Harvard Medical School, suggest that the increase in traffic deaths may be due to drivers being distracted by pulling up music on their phones. The study used data from a population-based registry of fatal US motor vehicle crashes to look at the number of traffic fatalities on the dates these albums were released, as well as for the 10 days either side.

Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews, Slashdot, Consequence — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.