Bird Box Challenge: Utah Teen Crashed While Driving Blindfolded

Hide your blindfolds. Hide your scarves. You thought you’d seen it all – viral internet challenges involving laundry detergent, condoms, cinnamon, deodorant and ice. But now, thanks to Netflix’s newest hit movie Bird Box, people are wandering around blindfolded.

The obvious fact that the movie’s main characters are blindfolded throughout the film has inspired the viral and dangerous challenge, aptly named the Bird Box Challenge, which requires participants to engage in daily tasks while, you guessed it, wearing a blindfold.

A teenager in Layton, Utah did just that. The 17-year-old took part in the Bird Box Challenge by driving her car blindfolded. Yes, you read that right.

“Bird Box Challenge while driving…predictable result,” the Layton Police Department tweeted Friday. “This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries.”

Bird Box Challenge while driving…predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries. pic.twitter.com/4DvYzrmDA2

— Layton Police (@laytonpolice) January 11, 2019

The young driver and her 16-year-old passenger were thankfully unhurt, according to local police, who tweeted images of the two cars involved in the crash shortly after it happened. The crash happened on Layton Parkway, a road that meanders through subdivisions in a town of 78,797 residents.

According to the images shared by police, the passenger-side front bumper of the truck appears to be smashed while the entire drive’s side of the small SUV is smashed, in addition to its airbags having been deployed.

In a tweet posted earlier this month, Netflix warned Bird Box viewers not to hurt themselves while doing the challenge. Netflix neglected, however, to explicitly tell viewers not to participate in the potentially dangerous challenge.

Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.

— Netflix (@netflix) January 2, 2019

This whole situation may have been avoided had the teen driver simply heeded the advice shared on social media by the Colorado State Patrol earlier this month:

https://twitter.com/CSP_News/status/1080976763843313664

Thankfully no one was injured in this instance of the Bird Box Challenge, but the potential is clearly there.

https://twitter.com/A_Mack011/status/1080901713274552322

https://twitter.com/BryceBevv/status/1082653987281743872

https://twitter.com/softieadachi/status/1080982614608044032

https://twitter.com/Christa_lite22/status/1081375502194102272