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Researchers found 30 percent of pedestrians corssed the street while distracted. Many were texting.
They're a lot like Pavlov’s dogs, those people who hear the ping of a landing text message or email and immediately whip out their smartphone to respond.
Now researchers in Seattle have found 30 percent of those plugged-in pedestrians were crossing the street while peering at cellphone screens, listening to music, or otherwise not paying attention.
“I was surprised it was as prevalent as it is,” said Beth Ebel, who’s seen the consequences first-hand as director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center in Seattle and as a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“I have seen a large increase in cases, anecdotally, both as a consequence of driving, walking and even while on horseback of people engaging in text messaging while in a task that requires concentration,” Ebel said. “The problem with text messaging is you are drawn into the communication, and so you are not thinking about what is around you. You do not have situational awareness.”
Ebel has also seen it herself while driving. “Sometimes I am stopped at a light and somebody walks in front of me, doesn’t catch my eye, doesn’t look at me,” she said.
Unfortunately, multi-tasking pedestrians are plentiful. Ebel’s team at the University of Washington watched 1,102 people crossing busy streets at 20 intersections at three different, randomly chosen times.
“Nearly one-third (29.8 percent) of all pedestrians performed a distracting activity while crossing,” they wrote in the journal Injury Prevention. “Distractions included listening to music (11.2 percent), text messaging (7.3 percent) and using a handheld phone (6.2 percent).”
In addition, those using their smart phones crossed more slowly, and were less likely to look around before stepping out into the street, Ebel’s team noted. They also crossed against the light more than undistracted pedestrians.
Sobering statistics show just how unsafe this is: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 60,000 pedestrians are injured and 4,000 killed every year in this country. And other studies have shown that people using cellphones while driving -- even hands-free -- are as impaired as if they'd had a drink or two.
We know we shouldn’t text and walk. But we do it anyway. Why the dangerous disconnect?
“Your brain is hard-wired for this,” says Ebel, who noticed the effect of an electronic summons years ago when, as a physician, she got her first beeper. “To me, this is the most classic Pavlovian model that I can think of."
As every first-year psychology student knows, Pavlov ran a series of experiments with dogs in which he rang a bell and then gave them food. Soon, the dogs began to salivate when the bell rang.
"Text messaging is just the same,” Ebel said. “The phone rings, and we get a nice treat.”
The treat is a fun or interesting text message – certainly more rewarding than looking at traffic.
“Why are we surprised that this is happening? It almost compulsive or instinctual,” Ebel said.
The problem is -- how do we stop it? Pointing out this bad behavior to strangers won't work, according to Ebel.
“I don’t imagine that it is effective to yell at them or scold them,” she said. “The irony of a lot of the cellphone discussion is we all feel indignant when we see someone doing something so risky in front of our noses, but the reality is many of us are doing this.”
Ebel predicts the related issues of cellphone use while driving and pedestrian cellphone use will go the way of drinking and driving laws. It will be illegal first, then socially unacceptable, she said.
As for how representative Seattle is of the entire country, Ebel is not sure. She hopes other people will study pedestrian behavior in their communities and is offering her study materials to schools.
“This is a great kind of project a school could do,” she said. “It makes kids more aware of how unaware people are are when they are distracted.”
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Leave a Comment:
No message is so important that you can't stop walking long enough to send it.
backtobasics-1076842
Nonsense! I'm typing this while crossing crossing the street AND juggling chainsaws. Studies show that people who use personal electronic devices are no more likely to...
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! MY FACE! WHHHYYYYYYY????
LOL
LOL.. It amazes me how close to zombyism so many people of this generation are approaching. I've been using computers since the early 1980s. In our town, we didn't have access to the Internet until the mid-'90s, and all the cute verbal interactions began.
That ball of wax never appealed to me and did so subconsciously, I presume, because the examples in this article occurred to me even back then.
I developed my own motto to define my life then, and I still pursue it. And so, I do not Twitter, Tweet, Slog the Blog, nor Face the Book. I'm not interested in iTubes, UTubes, OurTubes, or TheirTubes. Recently I added Text-uall, but not Text-4me. Now that the down-side is being noticed, I figure that my life, at least, retains a semblance of uninjured brain cells.
Computers, yes, of course, but my computers know their place. LOL... with you folks here at my locale library.
I like to honk my horn at pedestrians that cross in front of me while texting. Watching them jump out of their skin is absolutely hilarious.
Jonathan, that is a great idea! I'm going to start today. I'm on the road every day, in and out of cities. I see idiots texting while walking, riding a bike, driving and I'm sure that 99.99% of what they are texting is nothing but idiotic nonsense about themselves. I can't wait to scare these nitwits.
Seen this firsthand. I was at a red light and as it turned green a girl walked in front of my and the guy next to me's cars oblivious to the fact we could have run her down. She wasn't a kid either...probably in her mid thirties. She never looked up.
This morning, someone crossed in front of me while I had a green light and she was on her cellphone. She kept walking (and crossed without looking, mind you) as I kept driving toward her and even had the nerve to stop in the middle of the intersection and type out a message! I honked as I had to change lanes to avoid hitting her and she cursed me out. What's wrong with this picture?!
What is wrong is that these TWITS and fools are protected from the consequences of their actions by the government. If we were free to treat them appropriately as their actions warrant, Darwinism would have thinned the herd long ago. Heavy duty front bumpers and 'brush' guards (cattle guards?) wold experience a large surge in sales...
How does the conversation go?....Hey, this is a piece of cake.Cops do it all the time.I'm just as smart. It's those other idiots who don't know how to handle their phones. I ALWAYS stop and look before crossing the street. Or, I NEVER talk on the phone and drive or text, unless it's an emergency. When I get a call, I WAIT until I can pull over to answer it safely. Yeah sure. Then I ride with these people, and nothing they say is true.
The article is spot on about pedestrians distracted too. I have had to honk my horn so many times because folks started to walk right up to intersections and into the street after the light changed. Never even checking traffic. Yet sometimes they would get mad like it was my fault for coming down the road and I had a green light. Go figure. Sometimes life looks so funny. Seeing people walk past, so many staring downwards. I wonder, do they even notice the gorgeous sky, clouds, birds, trees and lovely sights? I think we are becoming more detached from the real world and how to really communicate with each other.
I should confess, I do have a personal pet peeve with drivers on phones.Probably because one crashed into me while doing so. She walked away, I wasn't so fortunate and still live with the consequences to this day. Sadly it seems, every time I drive, there are distracted folks on the road using phones or doing other things. I always give them all a wide berth. We all only get one life and few get second chances.
I can text while crossing the street and simultaneously avoid the idiot driver who wants to run me over when I have the right of way, it's these people who exist in their own worlds that are the problem, crossing the street or driving. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and I don't drive, in my experience it's at least 3x rarer for someone to wait until i crossed the road to start turning than for them to just turn regardless of me crossing and if I wasn't paying attention, I'd get hit by a car. I have a friend that recently got his foot run over not far from where I live, he wasn't texting, just not expecting the blatant disregard for human life.
Windancersong, you know that if you have a green light and you are making a left turn, pedestrians have the right of way, right?
Honestly, molton, I have concerns you are deluding yourself like some of the people mentioned below. I'd hate to for you to become a hood ornament because you are not as aware of your environment as you think you are.
As a driver AND as a pedestrian, I am very focused on the other cars/people around me, because there a so many who are oblivious.
Molton, you are correct, pedestrians DO have the right of way over someone making a left turn (or right turn), assuming there is not a separate 'walk' signal for the pedestrians. However, you could also be 'dead' right...
And this news comes as a surprise to who exactly?
No one except those who text and walk.
To WHOM exactly?
I'm a cashier and here's what I see often: A group of teenagers or people in their early twenties. All of them have their faces in their phones the entire time I'm ringing up their items, bagging them, etc. Works for me, because I don't have to say hello or chat with them(Most times I do say hello but they ignore me anyway). Why should I, when they're obviously not acknowledging me at all? I do my thing, tell them the total if I'm feeling nice, they pay and they're on their way, faces in their phones once more, like nothing happened.
I wouldn't last long in your job, mom. I would consistently and absolutely refuse to check out people who are texting or talking on the phone while at my register. Some stores around here (Dallas, TX) actually have a policy allowing their cashiers to do exactly that, both my wife and I have seen it occur.
If more retailers had and enforced such a policy, fewer twits would have their nose buried in their gadget at the register. They are fools, but even idiots are smart enough to abstain from actions that cause undesirable consequences.
I saw a young woman nearly walk into the side of a light rail train leaving a stop in downtown Minneapolis. She was totally oblivious to what was going on around her -- but how can you miss a 4-car light rail train?!?
And it is just getting worse; I was in a restaurant where are girl no more than 8years old was texting or playing some handheld game while her family was leaving and she walked right into a chair.
Parking lots are probably worse than crosswalks, as cars are coming and going from every direction, people backing up, etc. And yes, I see these people with their faces in their phones not paying any attention - it's insanely stupid.
Not to mention, the people that have their faces in their phones all the time are missing out on some of the nice parts of life. They don't care anything except for texting the all important "lol" or "omg!". Thousands of texts every month for each of these people - surely there are more important things in life?
cool. maybe they'll help clean up the gene pool...
Stupidity should hurt.
When I was a youngster, reading while crossing a street would have been called "stupid" Now kids walk, text, fiddle with their play-lists, stuff their faces and they name it "multitasking"! I still call it a bit stupid.
Had a guy cross the street from the opposite direction against the walk light(while texting mind you) and stumbled at the curb, tripping and falling onto the trunk of my car hitting his chin so hard his teeth went through his lower lip! He also left a huge dent in my trunk along with some paint scratches clear to the bumper. When looking in my rear view mirror I could see blood running down his face so I got out and offered him some help and he got indignant with me complaining it was my fault! You know what the first thing he did was? Yep you guessed it, he said he had to finish his text!!! He tried to sue me for his injuries and the magistrate threw it out of court and told the guy not to text and try to navigate city streets because it was apparent he lacked the skills to walk and chew gum at the same time!!! No lie, wish I'd recorded it!!
That outcome sounds pretty good, but did your insurance company collect from the twit for damages to your car?
I've been one of those txters! I walked into a person, I've walked into a door and I've almost walked into other inanimate objects. Of course I felt stupid for doing so, but I've never busted out the phone while crossing the street, walking near a street or anything of that matter. Whenever I sit down I will look at my phone for that little blinking light, if not, throw it back in the bag. I mean, jeez, I still have manners and I will smile and greet people at the stores or engage in conversation with the people I'm with.
Had a woman just this morning walk out in front of my car while texting. She never even realized I was there... It's a good thing I wasn't texting.
Nearly took out a bicyclist who was texting while riding. her. bike. down. the. street!
A while ago, I was pushing my huge double stroller on the sidewalk. This teenage girl was very absorbed into her phone. I was waiting for her to move over so I can push through. I had yell HELLO! at her to get her attention. She cursed me out under her breath. I told her to watch where she was going or she would get ran over by semi truck. Like hell I was going to move my big ass double stroller into the grass for her highness to aimlessly walk by.
keep on texting and walking in traffic, help us improve the gene pool
Because I have a wheelchair, I use a 1987 Ford Econoline that is large enough that it came from the factory with two gas tanks. Not long ago a woman literally walked into the back of it, fell over the cargo carrier on the hitch, and then accused me of backing over her, all while texting. I mean, seriously, modern warfare tanks are smaller than this thing! Fortunately the carryout kid who had JUST shut the back doors (and they require rather firm shutting, at that!) after loading my groceries was still there and pointed out to her that my engine wasn't even running. She was screaming that she was calling the police. I saved her the trouble, and the carryout stayed until they got there and told them what actually happened.
Retired RN, that is a great story with the right ending to it. I imagine some of these idiots actually succeed in getting an innocent person in trouble.
.
Idiots in Boston never look before they cross the street. At least they won't know what hit them!
It's ironic that with all the information and communications available to us, we seem to be losing the last remnants of common sense and survival instincts.
My cousin saw a lady walk right into a parked minivan at a WalMart parking lot ... all while texting away!
like we have nothing better to do than wait in our cars while these texting morons ever so slowly cross the street ....
It's not the walkers who I always see though I have seen a few. I take my dog down the street to the school almost every night to play Frisbee. I have to cross the crosswalk at a 4 way stop. You have no idea how many times I've almost been hit. And I've had people yell at ME after they almost run me down IN the cross walk. You get halfway out there and they just go. (And no, I don't even own a cell phone)