Health Tip – Mar. 14 – Texting While You Walk
Do you look both ways before crossing the street? Not likely, reports a team of researchers at the University of Washington. They observed the behavior of more than 1,000 people as they crossed 20 high-risk intersections in Seattle during the summer of 2012. Only 25 percent of walkers looked both ways before crossing. Nearly one-third of the pedestrians were listening to music, texting or talking on the phone.
Texting pedestrians were 3.9 times more likely than undistracted pedestrians to cross against the light, cross mid-intersection or fail to look both ways. Pedestrians who were listening to music walked more quickly but were less likely than others to look both ways before crossing.
The researchers also reported that people with pets or children were almost three times less likely to look both ways before crossing. They noted that all of this distracted behavior helps account for accidents that injure more than 60,000 pedestrians per year and kill more than 4,000.
Be safe. Be aware of your surroundings by refraining from texting, talking on the phone or listening to music when walking in high traffic areas. Be the eyes and ears for your children and pets. Concentrate on the action around you and their reaction to it in order to protect them. Remember all safety rules about crossing at intersections.
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