Walking and texting is something you’re probably guilty of. It’s not hard to visualize– you’re walking down the street when your phone vibrates and immediately you become sucked into whatever notification you received while still walking. You’re distracted. The next time you look up you’ve probably veered to the opposite side of the sidewalk without noticing.
We do it all the time.
The only problem is that texting and walking pose a much more significant threat than we realize, and we could be putting our safety in danger every time we do it.
The Facts:
● Walking while texting caused more than 11,000 injuries in 2019 and led to over 5,000 deaths.
● 60% of walkers veer off course while walking and texting.
● The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons conducted a study of 20 intersections in Seattle. They found that people texting and walking were four times more likely to display “unsafe walking behavior” than other pedestrians.
The Problem
Distracted walking can be life-threatening. There have been many reported cases of cars hitting pedestrians while they were walking across the street and looking at their phones.
As reported by KTNV Channel 13, a 67-year-old woman fell 6 feet into an open cellar while texting and walking. Although she didn’t sustain any life-threatening injuries, she had to visit the hospital.
We don’t notice how distracted our phones can make us or we don’t really care. We are overconfident in our ability to multitask.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, “among distracted walking behaviors, 75% of respondents say they personally ‘usually/always’ or ‘sometimes’ have ‘active conversations’ with another person they are walking with–making this the most common distracted walking behavior people admit to doing themselves…”
I’m sure you can think of a time when you were walking on your phone and bumped into something. The problem is the distraction.
When we are engaging with our phones, walking or not, our brain pulls its focus to it. According to an article published by Ideas for Leaders, “cell phones are distracting, pulling our attention away from our current tasks and activities. New research reveals that the mere presence of the phones, even when they are turned off and we are consciously focusing our attention on another task, is enough to reduce our thinking capacity.” Having your phone around you in any capacity could distract you.
Solutions?
As the number of injuries increases, cities have searched for solutions for pedestrians to keep them safe. In some cities like Hong Kong, crossing lights have been installed on the sidewalk so that pedestrians looking down at their phones know when it’s safe to cross.
Will smartphone companies need to come out with safety settings for pedestrians? We already have “Driving Mode” on our iPhones that stops notifications from popping up on our phones . Are we getting to the point where we will see “Walking Mode” become an option?
A Little Honesty
Although it’s true that being on our phones and walking can be dangerous, many of us won’t stop. It’s hard to believe that the next time you get a notification on your phone while walking down the road you aren’t going to not check it out of fear. It’s understandable, you might need to change the song you’re listening to or your mom sent you a picture of your dog.
Of course, you are going to check your phone. But, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware. The only way we can protect ourselves from accidents is to understand phones distract us. Next time you check your phone while walking, consider waiting until you cross the street or pulling off to the side to reply to a message.
It’s a small change that could save you from a big accident.
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