Archives for April 2014

With devices and phones becoming more mobile and entertaining, it’s a common sight to see one walking with their eyes glued to their cellphone, or their ear buds tucked into their ears  humming along to their favorite tune,  instead of paying attention to what they are doing and where they are headed.  Whether it be crossing the street into traffic on a red light, heading towards that crack in the sidewalk, or obliviously strolling behind that car getting ready to back out from the parking space at the mall, the path of the PDA is leading to more and more to the path of personal injury for distracted pedestrians. Just like it isn’t a good idea to drive with your eyes on your cell, the same goes for the pedestrian, who is more vulnerable if hit by a moving vehicle. We all have a duty to protect ourselves from peril.

Typing that text message or fiddling with your settings on your iPod, it is now habit for many, and as a result, more people have landed themselves in the hospital caused by their wandering eyes and ears. In 2010,  the Center for Disease Control noted that over 2,500 pedestrians were taken to emergency rooms in the United States from injuries related to cellphone usage while they were walking. According to a study published in the Accident Analysis and Prevention Journal that number is likely closer to 1 in 2500. The amount in 2012, nearly doubled since the original survey was conducted, and this number is likely higher since not all the incidents are reported. This is more likely to happen to people between the ages of 16 to 25 , who now wear these device just like they wear clothes .

A recent Australian study shows that people walking with cellphones aren’t able to walk in a straight line while reading or texting. This distraction also caused test subjects to walk slower, unevenly with rigid posture and poor balance.  Then there was the story of a woman who fell into a bay because she was checking Facebook, which went viral . Yup, she walked right off a pier in Melbourne,  and unfortunately she didn’t know how to swim. She called for help and nearby police saved her. She was taken to a hospital for treatment and was lucky to come away with no permanent injury.

Another man was so busy chatting on his cellphone that he didn’t realize that he was walking onto the train tracks in Philadelphia. He was lucky there were no trains approaching, but it took him a while to recover from the fall off the platform on to the tracks.

Unfortunately, a New York City woman died after she fell in a gap between two subway cars. She was crushed by the train’s wheels and was dragged for two stops. Video footage shows the woman’s head was down and authorities believe she was distracted by her cellphone and texting or reading email. A Seattle woman was killed after being hit by a truck while she was chatting on the phone with a friend. She was on the way home after dinner and she had ignored honking in the background as she walked on the road and was engaged her conversation as the truck came from behind.

In a review of pedestrian fatalities in 2010, the Office of the Police Chief for Orlando, Florida found that almost twenty (20%) per cent of the pedestrians involved in accidents were distracted by means such as using a cell phone; MP3 player; a mobile device; pushing a shopping cart; walking a dog; or riding a skateboard. While it’s not illegal to cross the street distracted, many police agencies have launched awareness programs, including radio and TV campaigns to get the word out and  ensure that pedestrians pay attention when they’re crossing intersections.

If there’s a green light that gives vehicles the right of way, it’s still important that drivers continue to watch out and yield for pedestrians who might not be paying attention. Vehicle drivers should check that pedestrians make eye contact with the driver before walking, or honk to get their attention.

Pedestrians should stay alert and keep their head up, especially when crossing the roads. If they are listening to music, it’s important that it’s not turned on too loud that they can’t hear anything. Also, they should look both ways before crossing and not play with electronics while crossing.