Risks of using cell phones while crossing the street
Preliminary research conducted with children 10 and 11 years of age at the University of Alabama in Birmingham shows that children have an increased risk of being struck or nearly struck by a vehicle by up to one third. The children walked through simulated road crossings in an interactive virtual pedestrian environment. Results showed that children’s pedestrian safety was compromised when distracted by a cell phone conversation. While distracted, they were less attentive to traffic, they left less safe time between their crossing and the next arriving vehicle, and they experienced more collisions and close calls with oncoming traffic. Researchers also believe that other distractions while crossing the street such as listening to music, text messaging, and talking to peers could also increase the odds of risky pedestrian behavior.1
EndNotes
1 Stavrinos D, Byington KW, Schwebel DC. Effect of cell phone distraction on pediatric pedestrian injury risk. Pediatrics 2009;123(2):e179-85.
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