Cellphones pose dangers to pedestrians

A safety video that was recently released has shown the great dangers that cellphones pose when they distract pedestrians.

The video is from Switzerland and it depicts a pedestrian walking while engrossed on his cellphone, and as the scene is described, the man is knocked by a car that he didn't see coming – it’s pretty violent!

According to a 2010 publication by Ohio State University, more than 1,500 people were treated for injuries sustained while walking and absorbed in cellphone applications.

In China, a so-called cellphone addict’s sidewalk lane was opened in 2014 as a way to draw attention to how distracted pedestrians place themselves at risk. As you walk down the pavement you will see the lane split in two, the one side is the “Cellphones” lane and the other is the “No Cellphones” lane dedicated to people who are actually keeping track of where they are going. A huge shock was that people distracted by their cellphones didn't even notice the new markings on the sidewalk!

The University of lowa has researchers that are experimenting with a cellphone warning system. An approaching car would automatically send a signal to a mobile phone user to warn them of the vehicles approach. But, the warning system has some faults… if a warning is sent every time a car passes; soon people will simply ignore it.

Advertising campaigns often use shock to change people’s behavior, but what will really convince people to avoid being distracted by their cellphones?

Here are some simple tips to avoid cellphone distractions:

- Never answer your cellphone while you are driving
- Never text while you are driving
- Put your cellphone away while you are on the sidewalk
- Set aside a certain time of the day to make all your calls
- Pay close attention to your surroundings
- Walk and don’t talk
- Stop if you need to use the phone
- Avoid using your headphones if you are in high-traffic areas
- Put your phone down and look both ways when you are crossing the street

More people need to be persuaded to keep their heads up and their cellphones down. This would be the quickest and simplest way to get rid of pedestrian injuries and accidents. Doing this would also curb a trend that is expected to continue as more and more people depend entirely on technology and their cellphones.

You can watch the video here, but we warned the scene of the accident may offend some viewers.

For all your IT services, whether it be general IT support, repairs, website hosting and graphic design or just some friendly advice, contact The Computer Guyz in Cape Town or Centurion.

Written By: Christine Romans
CopyWriter at The Computer Guyz Cape Town