Distracted Pedestrians Walk Into Accidents
Distracted drivers have generated much attention over the past few years -- Enough to get many states to ban cell phone usage and text messaging while operating a motor vehicle. Lately, however, a new phenomenon has emerged: distracted walking.
As cell phones, MP3 players, and other mobile devices become more and more ubiquitous, there has been an increase in injuries suffered by pedestrians. People everywhere can be seen walking while talking on cell phones, sending text messages, listening to music, and surfing the web. What they are seemingly failing to see, is what’s right in front of them.
In 2008, more than 1,000 pedestrians visited emergency rooms because they were injured while walking and talking or walking and texting. The number is double that of 2007, which is twice as much as 2006. Along with the increasing number of injuries is the number of people with mobile devices, both of which show no signs of slowing.
Most injuries suffered by distracted walkers are minor, such as bumps, bruises, sprains and fractures, but in the most extreme cases, the injuries can be fatal. The majority of the injured are under the age of 30, those who spend the most amount of time with their various gadgets, but over a quarter fell under the baby boomer category. Deaths have been reported of people who walked into oncoming buses, trains, and trucks while listening to music and talking on the phone.
Researchers have found that the problem isn’t only a matter of misstepping while multitasking, it’s that talking or texting has a cognitive effect on people, capturing much of their awareness. Some people are so oblivious to their surroundings when engaged with a mobile device that they fail to see life unfolding around them. Researchers call this phenomenon “inattention blindness.”
In California and Texas, campaigns have sprouted warning pedestrians to be focused on the task at hand and put safety first. In accidents that are caused by pedestrian distraction, not only is the pedestrian putting himself or herself in harm’s way, but also those in nearby vehicles, crosswalks, and sidewalks. And cell phones aren’t the only way pedestrians can be distracted, looking in a different direction than you’re headed, eating on the run, attempting to find something in a backpack or luggage, and being lost in thought can also disrupt one’s walk.
At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein we see firsthand injuries suffered by pedestrians. If you’ve been injured by the negligence of someone else, call us today for a free and confidential consultation. You may be entitled to compensation.
And remember, if it would distract you while you’re driving, it will distract you while you’re walking. That and keeping your focus may just keep you out of the emergency room, which is a distraction nobody needs.
On January 1st, New Hampshire became the latest state to make texting while driving illegal. Maine’s southerly neighbor joined the ranks of seventeen other states, Guam, and the District of Columbia, where driver safety is of utmost importance. In New Hampshire, the fine for texting while driving is $100.