In the article “Floor lights help ‘smartphone zombies’
keep eye on the road” Tan (2017) reported that the LED strips implanted in the walkways
create safety awareness for pedestrians to stay alert on the road. The
half-year pilot by Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be implemented at two
different junctions, proximity to well-known establishments of high human
traffic. The LED strips are conspicuous, resembling the conventional red and
green man traffic signals. Public’s response on the suitability and functional
use of the LED strips will be first evaluated before making it available to
other junctions. “According to the Traffic Police” (Tan, 2017), elderly
pedestrians contribute to considerable proportion of accidents. While the implementation
of LED strips aims to create awareness for all pedestrians, the dangers of
distracted walking are still on the rise and this requires attention.
Distracted walking causes personal accident and results
in increasing the chance of getting injured. In the article “Dangers of texting
while walking” (Adam S. Kutner, n.d.), an example of such incident occurred at
a subway station in the United States, where a man is texting on his phone and
he is so obsessed until he falls onto the train track. He manages to get out of
the track safely as the train had yet to arrive at the station. As technologies
advance, these smartphone addicts put too much focus on their phones during
walking. They tend not to notice something or someone in front of them;
resulting in an accident.
As the use of mobile gadgets have increasingly become part of everyday
life, taking eyes off from the road and being unaware of the surrounding is
life threatening. In the article “Caught on dash cam: Girl, checking
phone, is hit while crossing road at green man” (Ho, 2015), a video of a girl
knocked down by a taxi circulated rapidly. In this video, the young girl was
seen crossing the traffic junction while using her phone, oblivious to the
oncoming taxi approaching her making a right turn. As the taxi could not stop
in time, she got knocked down. Although the traffic light is in her favour, she
should still be alert and pay more attention to her surroundings instead of
assuming the vehicle will stop for her while crossing the road.
A research study conducted by Pew Research Centre has
showed that young adults of age range 18 to 24 are susceptible to injury from
colliding into a person or static object while using their phone during walking
(Maminta, 2014). This age range is the highest amongst the rest of the people
surveyed. In another article, Lee (2015) reported that a group of four
undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University conducted a survey on
distracted walking. A total of 419 youth aged 17 to 25 were surveyed and 598
accidents were disclosed. From the students’ findings, the three main causes of
distractions are listening to music, texting and talking on the phone. Other
consequences include trip and fall and horned by vehicles.
In conclusion, although the LED strips may be effective in
tackling smartphone addicts, however the responsibility still lies on
individual to keep a safe lookout. Accidents can be avoided when these
‘smartphone zombies’ stop using their mobile gadgets and be wary of their
surroundings.
Reference:
Adam S. Kutner. (n.d.). Dangers
of texting while walking. Retrieved October 12, 2017, from
Ho, O. (2015, April 24). Caught on dash cam: Girl, checking
phone, is hit while crossing road at green
man.
The Straits Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/caught-on-dash-cam-girl-checking-phone-is-hit-while-crossing-road-at-green-man
Lee,
P. (2015, February 10). Using your phone as you walk may get you in an
accident. The Straits
Times.
Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/using-your-phone-as-you-walk-may-get-you-in-an-accident.
Maminta, J. (2014, January 08 ).
Have You Experienced 'Distracted Walking' While Using Your Cell
Phone?. International Business Times, Retrieved from
http://www.ibtimes.com.au/have-you-experienced-distracted-walking-while-using-your-cell-phone-1328762.
Tan, C. (2017, May 10). Floor
lights help 'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road. The Straits
Times.
Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/floor-lights-help-smartphone-zombies-keep-eye-on-the-road.
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