Times Colonist

Drake craze slammed by safety officials

- CYDNEY HENDERSON

The jury is still out on whether Keke loves Drake, but the #InMyFeelin­gs challenge that has inspired thousands of submission­s is getting the cold shoulder from the U.S. National Transporta­tion Safety Board.

The federal agency, which is responsibl­e for investigat­ing transporta­tion accidents, is asking people to stay in the car.

Thousands of fans worldwide have hopped on the internet craze in which participan­ts record themselves jumping out of moving cars to dance to Drake’s new single, In My Feelings, from his top-charting album Scorpion.

The agency called the challenge a dangerous distractio­n that could lead to death.

“When we saw this trend, we wanted to remind people what should be common sense, to not hop out of a moving vehicle,” said Christophe­r O’Neil, the agency’s spokesman.

“The dance floor is the right place for dance moves, not our nation’s roads and highways.”

“We have some thoughts about the #InMyFeelin­gs challenge,” the agency tweeted Monday. “Distractio­n in any mode is dangerous and can be deadly. Whether you are a driver, pilot, or operator, focus on safely operating your vehicle.”

O’Neil said the challenge is a form of distracted driving because people are not engaged in the act of driving while filming, endangerin­g not only themselves but those around them.

“In 2016, more than 37,000 people were killed on our nation’s roads and 10 per cent of those were related to distracted driving,” he said.

The viral dance challenge started in June when social media star Shiggy posted a homemade choreograp­hed music video on Instagram.

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