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distracted walking

Heads Up! Phones Down!

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Distracted Walking is a growing problem all over the world. Each year, more and more people are injured while walking because of texting, talking or listening to music while on their cell phones. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were nearly 6,000 pedestrian fatalities in 2017 as a result of distracted walking. How do we stop this number from growing?

Not looking ahead of you can cause you to trip, fall, or even end up in the hospital with serious injuries. Staying aware of your surroundings, big or small, inside or outside, can help prevent accidents from occurring.

Many pedestrians are losing focus on things happening around them and are putting their safety as well as the safety of others at risk because of being on their cell phones. Too many pedestrians rely on cars stopping for them, which causes the number of cell phone use while walking to go up. It is wrong for pedestrians to assume that motorists will always hear and see them. Too many times motorists are not aware of pedestrians approaching and before anyone realizes, it could be too late.

The simple solution is for pedestrians to stop using phones while walking, anytime – anywhere!  Did you know over half of the distracted walking injuries occur in our own homes?  We need to stay aware of our surroundings at all times.

Don’t become another statistic, instead, put your phone down and keep your head up!

Have you met the Wexters?

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Whether or not you can place the name, you have met the Wexters.  You’ve probably bumped into them on the street.  The Wexters are folks who walk and text at the same time.fear-of-the-zombie-apocalypse

You’ve seen these distracted pedestrians ambling down the sidewalk, through the parking lot, and across the street with eyes down as they busily text, talk, or listen to music all at the same time.  With no idea what is going on around them, the Wexters are dangerous to themselves and others.

There are reports of distracted pedestrians that have walked into utility and sign posts, bumped into walls and other pedestrians, and stepped in front of moving cars. Occasionally, we hear of the distracted pedestrian who walked into a glass door or into a fountain.  Let us not forget the woman who fell into Lake Michigan.  A study published by the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) revealed 40% have witnessed a distracted pedestrian incident and 25% admitted their own involvement in an incident.

It’s easy to laugh.  In fact, 22% of AAOS respondents think distracted walking mishaps are “funny.”  But incidents like these are no joke.  Serious injuries can and do occur.  In 2013, Ohio State University released a nationwide study which reported 256 distracted pedestrian emergency room visits in 2005.  Five years later, in 2010, the number rose more than 500% to 1,506.  This does not account for visits to personal physicians.

Avoid becoming a Wexter:

  • Keep volume on headphone low enough to hear traffic.
  • Focus on the people, objects, and obstacles around you.
  • Obey traffic signals.  Don’t jaywalk.
  • Look up especially at curbs, stairs, and escalators.
  • If you must make a call or text, step to the side, out of the way of pedestrians and traffic.

Photo credit: Found online. Unable to trace source