What to Know
- The Drake-inspired #InMyFeelings challenge, originated by Instagram comedian Shiggy, has taken a dangerous turn.
- Fans have begun to jump from moving vehicles while dancing on camera, with the drivers of the cars often doing the filming.
- This prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to put out a blog post warning people of the dangers of distracted driving.
#InMyFeelings? The National Transportation Safety Board would rather you stay in your car.
Drake’s #InMyFeelings challenge has taken the internet by storm, but as the videos have gotten more dangerous, the National Transportation Safety Board has decided to step in to remind everyone that driving while distracted is never a good idea.
Over the past few weeks, thousands of social media users, including celebrities such as Will Smith, have posted videos of themselves dancing along to Drake’s latest single “In My Feelings.” This viral trend began when Instagram comedian Shiggy posted a video of himself dancing along to the song in the middle of the road and motioning as if steering a car during the lyrics, “Keke, do you love me? Are you riding?”
What started out as harmless fun has taken a hazardous turn as fans have escalated the challenge to the point of jumping out of moving vehicles while dancing and then posting the videos online.
Although there have been no reports of serious injuries at this time, the NTSB still sees these actions as a major cause for concern.
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“Don’t jump out of a moving car for a meme. That’s it. It’s foolish, it puts other road users at risk, and, it’s an excellent way to suffer road rash, legal penalties, or worse,” Nicholas Worrell, Chief of the NTSB Safety Advocacy Division, wrote in a blog post Friday.
In many cases, the driver of the car is also the person recording the video, taking their focus away from the road.
According to the NTSB, over 37,000 Americans die as a result of motor vehicle crashes each year, almost all of which are preventable.
The NTSB used this as an opportunity to remind those on the road that not only is distracted driving an open invitation for potential tragedy, but it is also against the law.
“If your local law enforcement agency is among the many cracking down on distracted drivers, the last thing you want to do is post evidence of you and your friends breaking the law,” Worrell cautioned in his post.
That said, fans do not need to quit #InMyFeelings completely. Those still hoping to leave their mark on the Drake-inspired challenge should just consider dancing in or outside a parked car instead.
For more information about road safety as it pertains to the #InMyFeelings challenge, check out the NTSB’s full blog post.
