Smartphones may be to blame for the increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians

An analysis of crash statistics involving pedestrians in the United States shows that the number of fatal incidents is increasing. The number of deaths of pedestrians over the past few years has increased by more than 10%, and this, according to experts, can be to blame smartphones. People who cross the road, are absorbed in communication with the interlocutor in a mobile application or game, and do not pay attention to what is happening around. In general, this is a well-known fact, in some cities, for lovers of smartphones on the sidewalks, there were special lanes. Distracted by their electronic devices and drivers.

It is one thing the sidewalk, where a collision with another pedestrian can threaten only with a dropped telephone and a spoiled mood. And quite another - the road, which, as you know, does not forgive the inattentive. According to analysts from the United States, in 2016 alone, the number of deaths of pedestrians increased by 11%. The information is provided by the Road Safety Association, it is a collection of statistics from reports of employees of road services.

It is rather difficult to confirm or disprove the assumption that smartphones and other electronic devices are to blame for the death of pedestrians. But still the representatives of the Association are almost certain of this. According to Richard Retting, a representative of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants, the total number of kilometers covered by drivers and pedestrians increased by only a fraction of a percent over a year, so the jump in deaths of people caught on the road in an accident does not depend on this indicator. But people much more often began to resort to the use of electronic devices during movement. And this is the main cause of the problem.
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"It seems that this is the only factor that influences a significant increase in the number of deaths of people," says Retting.


The report is based on data from all US states for the first six months of 2016, which were extrapolated for the remaining six months. Last year, an increase in the number of deaths in traffic accidents rose to a record in 40 years. The previous record of growth of this indicator was noted in 2015. In 2016, the number of deaths of pedestrians, the cause of which is a collision with a car, increased to 15% in relation to the total number of incidents with pedestrians. In 2006, this figure was 11%.

“The latest data shows that pedestrian safety in the US is not too high. Behind each of these lost lives, a person dear to someone who has not returned home is absolutely unacceptable, ”says Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Association.


In general, the number of deaths on US roads increased last year by 6%, according to this indicator, the absolute record was set in the last 10 years. According to estimates by the US National Security Council in 2016, more than 40,200 people died as a result of a traffic accident in the country. More people due to accidents died only in 2007, then the number of deaths reached 41,000.

The Council itself is a national non-profit organization with the goal of helping to protect the lives and health of people by raising public awareness about safety and how to prevent accidents. It collects and disseminates statistics and other information about accidents; Council members are enterprises from various sectors of the economy, labor organizations, various educational institutions, etc.

The total number of accidents from 2010 to 2015 increased by 6%. According to experts, not only pedestrians themselves are to blame for the problem, because drivers are also distracted by phones and other electronic devices. Now it is often possible to see how a person who clearly looks at the screen of his gadget passes through a red light or passes through a pedestrian crossing despite the fact that people are already walking there.

Among other states with the highest rate of pedestrian deaths as a result of an accident - Delaware, Florida and Arizona. The minimum figure in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

The increase in fatal accidents attracted the attention of the US government and various kinds of regulators. Now the country is going to develop new precautions, which, as experts hope, will be able to change the situation. Some measures are being taken now. In particular, the central government asks state and local authorities to talk about successful implementation of measures that reduce the total number of fatal accidents and increase the safety of pedestrians on roads. Among the proposed solutions to the problem are conducting information campaigns for the public, both for motorists and pedestrians, identifying high-risk areas, cooperation of scientific organizations and various government organizations.