Watch out pedestrians – texting has become lethal.
Opening the text message on their cell phones, passerbys become absorbed in the screen before them and ignore the potential dangers surrounding them, including other texters, speeding cars and even trains.
The survey by Consumer Reports found that mobile device pastimes, including texting, watching videos and talking, can place pedestrians in dangerous situations, making them prone to injuries.
Of those included in the survey, 85 percent had seen someone use a mobile device to talk, text, email or use apps while walking in public within the past six months.
Fifty-two percent of survey participants said they thought that these distracted pedestrians put themselves or others in danger based on witnessed behavior, the survey reported.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which receives data annually from 100 emergency rooms, about 1,152 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. last year for injures involving distracted walking and electronic devices.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pedestrian fatalities rose by 4.2 percent and injuries by 19 percent since 2010.
As a result, some state and local officials have started to take preventative measures against distracted walking.
Highway safety officials in Delaware have opted for a campaign that includes placing decals on crosswalks and sidewalks, reading, “Look Up. Drivers aren’t always looking out for you.”
In Utah, officials adopted an ordinance prohibiting pedestrians from using cell phones and other electronic devices while crossing the tracks of its light rail system, which would result in a $50 fine.
Armando Morales, a senior civil engineering major at Cal State Long Beach, said he thinks using a cell phone and walking is dangerous only if you allow it to be dangerous.
“It’s common sense to look both ways before crossing the street and to check your surroundings,” Morales said. “No way should legislation be made. Texting and walking is a freedom and a choice. Accidents will always occur in various ways and the government can’t prevent them all.”
Amanda Avelar, a junior communications major, said that using a cell phone while walking can be dangerous depending on the person’s surroundings.
“Obviously, it is not smart to be on your cell phone if you are in a busy intersection and try to walk at the same time,” Avelar said. “But if you are somewhere less crowded and dangerous, such as a park, then it would be okay.”
Still, Avelar said she thinks that pedestrians should have the choice to walk and talk on their phones.
“As far as getting cited for being in a dangerous area,” she said, “I think that’s lame and government officials should spend their time working on more important things.”