How many injuries are caused by texting and walking?
3 min read
Asked by: Jay Butler
Walking and texting caused more than 11,000 injuries last year, and led to over 5,000 pedestrian deaths. In one study, 60% of walkers veered off course when they were texting, and the researchers observed serious alterations in the style and gait of walkers when they were texting.
What are the dangers of texting and walking?
The dangers of texting while walking include missing a light that changes or a car that shifts direction, leading to cell phone pedestrian accidents. In addition, if someone is texting and walking, they may be less likely to obey guidance measures such as staying within the pedestrian crosswalk lines.
What happens when you text and walk?
The risk of injury is dramatically greater if you walk and text than if you simply walk. You’re more likely to trip, bump into something or someone, twist your ankle, or step into traffic if you’re distracted while you walk.
Is it safe to use cellphone while walking?
Head Up, Phone Down
Distracted walking incidents are on the rise, and everyone with a cell phone is at risk. We are losing focus on our surroundings and putting our safety at risk. The solution: Stop using phones while walking, and not just in crosswalks and intersections.
Why do people walk and text?
A new research suggests that humans evolved to accommodate walking and texting. Texting – or checking social media or watching a video – while walking causes people to walk in a special movement pattern that protects them from accidents, according to a new study.
How many deaths are caused by phones?
About 400 fatal crashes happen each year as a direct result of texting and driving. That number increases to over 30,000 when you consider distracted driving as a whole, according to the NHTSA.
Texting and driving deaths per year.
| Year | Texting and driving deaths |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 387 |
| 2018 | 356 |
| 2017 | 418 |
| 2016 | 453 |
How many people walk with their phones?
Have cellphones become the modern-day, adult security blanket? A new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that, on average, 33.3 percent of women and 19.7 percent of men walk with a not-in-use cellphone in their hand.
How do I stop being distracted when walking?
Three Safety Tips for Pedestrians to Prevent Distracted Walking
- Tip 1: Put Your Phone Down. If you’re walking and using your cell phone, it means you’re not alert and not fully paying attention to your surroundings. …
- Tip 2: Turn Your Notifications Off. …
- Tip 3: No Headphones.
How many accidents are caused by distracted walking?
According to the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Injury Facts 2015 report, distracted walking caused over 11,000 injuries between . Of all the people injured in distracted walking accidents, more than half were age 40 or younger.
Should walking and texting be banned?
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.
What causes distracted walking?
Tripping and falling over curbs or debris. Stepping in a pothole or crack, subsequently spraining an ankle or breaking a bone. Suffering a concussion from hitting a sign or lamp post head first. Colliding with a distracted driver who isn’t paying attention either.
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.
What percentage of pedestrians are killed at 40 mph?
a 90 percent
If you hit a pedestrian: at 40 mph there is a 90 percent chance they will be killed. at 35 mph there is a 50 percent chance they will be killed. at 30 mph there is a 20 percent chance they will be killed.
