What is considered distracted walking?
Distracted walking occurs when someone travels somewhere on foot without paying attention to their surroundings.
What are the dangers of distracted walking?
Dangers in the Path Tripping over a hazard can result in falls that cause broken bones, back or neck injuries, or even concussion or other head trauma. Focusing on your mobile device while walking can cause a failure to yield to bigger hazards, too, resulting in serious injuries or even death.
How do I stop being distracted when walking?
Four Ways Pedestrians Can Reduce Their Risk of Accidents
- Keep Your Phone in Your Pocket. We ask drivers to keep their phones in their trunk and we plead for pedestrian to do the same.
- No Headphones Zone.
- Pushback on Push Notifications.
- Backup Precautions.
Are distracted pedestrians a problem?
A survey of transportation system designers in the U.S. found that a startling one-third consider distracted walking a “large problem” and estimate this as being responsible for 40% of pedestrian deaths. (Learn more about the Safe Systems approach that underpins Vision Zero.)
How many accidents are caused by distracted walking?
Distracted pedestrians may have been a contributing factor in the 4,200 pedestrian deaths and 70,000 injuries in traffic crashes in 2010, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
How many people are injured from distracted walking?
In which case you’re putting yourself at serious risk: Researchers have found that, over a decade’s time, texting and walking has caused more than 11,100 injuries.
Is distracted walking illegal?
Now, one small town in California is enforcing legislation that encourages people to put away their phones before stepping outside. …
What happens when people are distracted?
In 2018, scientists discovered that when you’re distracted, you experience a severe dent in your ability to smell. It’s called “inattentional anosmia,” or smell blindness, and it appears to be tied strongly to our focus.
What happens when you text and walk?
It has been proven that distraction from texting while walking can cause pedestrians to cross roads very unsafely. Not only can trips and falls occur, but even getting hit is more than just a possibility. Oftentimes, walking in of street signs, doors, and walls are also just as common.
Is it OK to not use mobile phone while walking?
While on the phone, people may not be focused on scanning for dangers around them. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness can lead pedestrians to suffer serious injuries. Recent studies highlight the dangers of using cell phones while walking – even in places that might seem safe.
Why is walking and texting bad?
People who text while walking face a higher risk of an accident than those listening to music or talking on the phone, a study has found. People who text while walking face a higher risk of an accident than those listening to music or talking on the phone, a study has found.
Is texting while walking illegal?
Texting while walking makes you a slower and more distracted pedestrian, whether you realize it or not. As Business Insider reports, being charged with “distracted walking” in Montclair, California can land you with a three-figure fine. …
How dangerous is distracted walking?
Distracted walking is not only a danger to you but also to those around you. Bumping into another pedestrian could cause him or her – or you – to stumble and fall, possibly resulting in injury to one or both of you.Walking distracted can slow your reaction time and make it harder to notice dangers in your path.
Injuring someone else
How are distracted walking leads to accidents?
Distracted walking leads to accidents in a number of different ways. In the most benign of cases, pedestrians can trip on an uneven sidewalk and fall. Tripping over curbs and falling down steps are also common.
Is distracted walking on the job a hazard?
When distracted walking meets the workplace, employee health can suffer . Workers operating machinery while texting or using their smartphones may injure themselves or others, which may lead to lost time from work.