Caution: Texting on foot a hazard Distracted pedestrians are racking up all kinds of injuries. The message? Pay attention or pay the price.
By Beth Teitell Globe Staff / May 17, 2011 Jocelyn Nagy was at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and West Broadway indulging in a favorite pastime, walking while texting, when she stepped in front of an oncoming car, which promptly ran over her foot. Nagy, 22, checked to see if she could still walk (incredibly, she could), and then quickly got back to the really important business. "I just got hit by a car!'' she texted friends. Massachusetts banned texting while driving last September, but as emergency room doctors - and annoyed or amused onlookers know - texting while on foot remains quite legal. Now that walking season is upon us, look out. Distracted pedestrians are colliding with cars and telephone poles, tumbling down stairs and off curbs, and slamming into other pedestrians, some of whom are also texting, of course. OMG! Just hit by jerk! Ohio State University researchers reported that pedestrian texting accidents led to more than 1,000 emergency room visits nationwide in 2008. In retrospect, that was a relatively simple time, when Americans sent a mere 1 trillion texts, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, based in Washington, D.C. Last year, the number of texts hit 2.1 trillion, and Jack Nasar, a professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State, is updating his research. He expects that the new numbers, out later this month or in June, will show an increase in texting-related injuries. "I'm not sure people realize they are putting themselves at risk,'' he said. ... http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2011/05/17/accidents_among_texting_pedestrians_are_fraught_with_hazards/ _______________________________________________ Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
