GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Watch Where You're Walking

Michael Steinhart | Date: 10-01-10 | Comments

The dangers of texting while driving are well-known, and many states have taken steps to ban the practice. But texting while walking�a common occurrence�may be similarly dangerous.

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Watch Where You're Walking
Text messaging is increasingly becoming the communication medium of choice for teens, and many adults are following suit. In March 2010, UPI reported on a study by the U.S. Census Bureau that showed that Americans sent more than twice as many texts in December 2008 than in December 2007: The number of text messages jumped from less than 50 billion to 110 billion.

Teens and grownups are increasingly addicted to texting, but doing so while walking can lead to accidents and injuries.

Texting has already grown so ubiquitous that phone maker LG holds an annual contest to determine the "best" texter in America. Half a million people participated in preliminary rounds of the contest, and LG recently crowned its national champion�13-year-old Brianna Hendrickson of Brooklyn, N.Y.�who averages 7,000 texts per month. The challenge tested contestants' speed and ability to dodge obstacles while texting.

The question is, how often do you check your cell or smartphone for text messages while you're walking down the street? Ever bumped into someone, accidentally? Walked into a car or a mailbox or, worse, missed a curb because you weren't watching the terrain? If you have, you're not alone. If you haven't, it may happen soon.

A recent study conducted by Dr. Joana Lumsden of Aston University in the U.K. showed that 10 percent of cell phone users have been injured while texting, and in London, an average of two teens are injured or killed while texting each day.

Lumsden conducted extensive tests, in which subjects followed a color-coded path while texting. Video monitors mounted at intervals around the path instructed participants to avoid certain colors. Test results showed that texters stepped on one out of five "obstacles."

With busy professionals under pressure to be reachable 24/7, and teens glued to their devices regardless of the pressure, it's unrealistic to expect people to simply not text while walking. However, some companies are working on gesture- or voice-driven texting applications that reduce the danger of distracted pedestrians.

Next: Promoting Safe Text >>