The saying “look before you walk” may be what a lot of people should be following, especially now that accidents are on the rise.
According to a report made by ABS News – which compiled the data taken by the Consumer Product Safety Commission – the incidents of “distracted walking” accidents has been on the increase. According to the report, about 1,150 people in the US had been sent to hospitals a year ago after they met with accidents while they were using their mobile phones. The figure may be considered insignificant considering the US is a country with 300 million people but it is statistically significant considering that the incidents of these kinds of accidents have increased by 400 percent over those reported over the last seven years.
In fact, certain sectors are now becoming more aware of this phenomenon. In Fort Lee, New Jersey, police officials began handing out leaflets two months ago to communicate how dangerous walking while using a mobile phone is. But since the drive has apparently been unsuccessful, the police force in Fort Lee is now imposing $85 fines to anyone who is texting and jaywalking.
To be fair, distracted walking is not a phenomenon where mobile phones have been solely to blame. This potentially dangerous behavior can be traced as far back as the 70s when the Sony Walkman reigned supreme.
Originally posted on July 31, 2012 @ 9:01 pm
