We live in the age of technology. Now more than ever before, we can have the world at our fingertips. Our iPhones, iPads, tablets, mp3 players, e-readers and more have become as commonplace in today’s society as it is to walk down the street. However, these devices can really effect how you walk down the street and what can happen as a result.
Distracted walking is what many, especially in our own congested city of New York, are calling what happens when pedestrians are paying attention to something else and do not watch their surroundings or take proper caution when crossing streets or walking in sync with others. Just take a look outside right now-we can barely find one person at our busy Herald Square intersection of 31st Street and 6th Avenue that is not crossing the crowded street without looking down at a handheld device or chatting away on a hands-free telephone with their mind anywhere and everywhere else than the truck barreling down the street that has the right of way or the mom pushing a baby carriage down the sidewalk with nowhere to go now that distracted walkers have taken up all of the space and refuse to look up to acknowledge the problem.
Pedestrian “walking while distracted” accidents have increased by 15% since 2009, after they had been on a steady decline since the 1970s. The bulk of these fatalities happen to teens and young adults, and this group of people tends to be the most engrossed in distractions (i.e. cell phones, music devices, etc.). According to Safe Kids Worldwide, pedestrian injuries for 16-19 year olds have increased by 25% in the last five years. The study also found that one in five high schoolers were observed crossing the street while distracted and teens who were distracted were most frequently texting and/or wearing headphones.
Headphones present a large problem for pedestrians because the headphones cancel out the street noise. A person using headphones to have a phone conversation or listen to music cannot hear carns honking at them, fellow pedestrians warning them or a siren from an ambulence barreling down the street asking him or her to get out of the way.
In a city like New York, we especially need o be cautious of distracted walking. There is a new phrase-petextrian-describing a pedestrian who consitently texts while neglecting their basic pedestiran duties. At least 53% of adult cell phone users for example have bumped into an object or person because of this sort of distraction according to the Pew Research Center. Due to their mass scial media and online presence, this “bump rate” is highest among 18- to 24-year-olds.
In addition, many young people are being warned in their communities and by police to keep the cell phone or other device away when walking, especially when alone, because it can attract unwanted pickpockets or worse, who tend to strike when someone is distracted.
If you are walking down the street, realize that you too can be harmed if you are distracted by an electronic handheld device and not aware of your surroundings. Keep the smartphone in your pocket, but if you must look at it, stop in a safe place where you will not be hit by a motorist or some other hazard. Do not cross a street or walk down a sidewalk while looking down at a phone or a similar device. Just like how people do not and should not readbooks while walking, this is simialr in that it diverts attention and calls our other senses to get involved, thus detracting them from aiding in smart pedestrian behavior.
