Smartphones, Online Music Streaming, and Traffic Fatalities

Texting and talking on the phone while driving are known safety issues. Modern smartphones, however, present new opportunities for driver distraction, including the capability to stream music while driving.

To investigate the potential role of smartphones in contributing to distracted driving by studying changes in traffic fatalities on dates of major music album release, when online streaming and smartphone use surge.

This cross-sectional study used the Fatality Analysis Reporting System-a population-based registry of fatal US motor vehicle crashes-to measure traffic fatalities on the 10 days before and after the release date of the top 10 most streamed music albums from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022. Using a quasi-experimental event design that combined the days before and after album releases in a single analysis and adjusted for day of week of album release, changes in use of a major online streaming platform and the average additional risk of traffic fatalities attributable to album releases were estimated. Data were analyzed from January 1 to March 1, 2024.

Dates of 10 large music album release days.

Traffic fatalities.

Of 233 809 US traffic fatalities from 2017 through 2022, the mean (SD) age of decedents was 44.3 (20.3) years and 71.6% were male. Daily music streaming volumes rose on dates of major album releases compared with the 10 days before and after releases, from 86.1 million (95% CI, 85.3-87.0 million) to 123.3 million (95% CI, 113.4-133.2 million), a relative increase of 43%. The risk-adjusted number of US traffic fatalities was 139.1 (95% CI, 126.8-151.4) on album release days compared with 120.9 (95% CI, 119.6-122.2) on surrounding days, corresponding to an absolute increase of 18.2 fatalities (95% CI, 4.8-31.7; P = .01) or a relative increase of 15.1% on album release days. Excess fatalities occurring on album release days were higher among drivers who were younger and male and among crashes where a single occupant was involved, the weather was clear, alcohol was not involved, and vehicles were manufactured with infotainment systems.

In this cross-sectional study of US traffic fatalities, major music album releases, accompanied by increased online streaming, were associated with a significant increase in traffic fatalities, suggesting that online music streaming through smartphones may significantly contribute to distracted driving and traffic fatalities.