A Harvard Medical School study found traffic fatalities in the United States increased by nearly 15 percent on days when major albums dropped from artists like Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny. The research, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyzed data from 2017-2022 and found streaming music consumption surged 40 percent on release days.

Researchers Vishal Patel, Christopher M. Worsham, Michael Liu, and Anupam B. Jena discovered smartphone use in cars spiked during these periods, with streaming music being one of the most popular smartphone activities. The study found 139 traffic fatalities on album release days compared to 121 on surrounding days, translating to approximately 182 additional fatal crashes across the 10 most-streamed albums analyzed.

The effect was particularly pronounced among sober drivers and in single-occupant vehicles, suggesting that smartphone distraction from actively engaging with new music outweighed other risk factors. Dr. Patel suggested streaming platforms could implement "Drive Safely" notifications on major release days, noting that services like Spotify and Apple Music already know when albums drop and could add simple reminders to reduce distracted driving.