Pedestrians are increasingly sustaining injuries as a result of talking or texting on cell phones while walking, the New York Times reported Jan. 17.
Those who chat and text while walking often experience minor injuries like sprained ankles or bruises from bumping into stationary objects like poles or parked cars.
The Times reported 1,000 pedestrians visited emergency rooms in 2008 for treatment of injuries obtained while walking and using a cell phone. The number of emergency room visits from those walking while using a cell phone has doubled each year since 2006.
In the wake of bans on cell phone use for drivers, it’s relevant to consider what kind of dangers it presents in other arenas. But it’s unfortunate many pedestrians are so consumed by the gadgets and messages on their phones that they put themselves in an unusual peril while doing something as simple as walking down the street.
It’s unrealistic to expect pedestrians to stop using cell phones while walking. Making a work-related call or catching up with a friend over the phone is more efficient if the conversation takes place while you’re on the go between other tasks.
But in the interest of safety and sanity, it wouldn’t be so bad to slow down and take a break from the BlackBerry.
Drivers who use cell phones on the road present a danger to those around them, but pedestrians who walk and text only risk an embarrassing accident to themselves.
Cutting back on cell phone use while walking is unlikely to have a significant effect on public safety. However, it might encourage us to break out of the bubble once in a while and pay attention to our real environment, rather than the virtual world.
The progression to higher forms of technology is convenient, but isn’t without its drawbacks. Safety considerations and a move away from face-to-face interaction are the price we pay for communication on the go.
While it’s clear we shouldn’t become absorbed in apps, texts and BBMs to the extent we forget to look both ways before crossing the street, skyrocketing rates of cell phone usage mean the gadgets now hold an important place in our lives.
In the grand scheme, multi-tasking on the go with a cell phone in tow presents little threat so long as we remember to look up from our cocoons of technology once in a while and see where we’re headed.
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