{"id":7099,"date":"2024-10-09T16:50:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T16:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=7099"},"modified":"2024-10-16T21:42:42","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T21:42:42","slug":"ubc-study-shows-texting-while-walking-significantly-endangers-pedestrians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/ubc-study-shows-texting-while-walking-significantly-endangers-pedestrians\/","title":{"rendered":"UBC Study Shows Texting While Walking Significantly Endangers Pedestrians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new UBC study highlights the dangers of texting while walking, showing that distracted pedestrians are significantly more at risk of near-miss incidents with vehicles. The findings suggest key interventions to improve road safety.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Pedestrians who text or talk on their phones while walking are at significantly higher risk of accidents, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia. Research conducted at two busy intersections in downtown Vancouver has shown that distracted pedestrians have a 45% increased likelihood of near-miss incidents with vehicles compared to their undistracted counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNon-distracted pedestrians made safer choices when interacting with vehicles,\u201d lead author Tarek Sayed, a civil engineering professor who specializes in transportation safety engineering and pedestrian safety at UBC, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.ubc.ca\/2024\/10\/texting-while-walking-puts-pedestrians-in-danger\/\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. \u201cThey maintained greater distances from vehicles, yielded more frequently to oncoming traffic and adjusted their speed when necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0001457524003348?via%3Dihub\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, utilized a combination of computer vision systems and artificial intelligence simulation models developed at UBC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers examined video traffic data to track the behaviors of both distracted and undistracted pedestrians, focusing on interactions that could potentially lead to accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study\u2019s findings are significant, emphasizing that distracted pedestrians frequently remain unaware of their surroundings, leading to less efficient navigation and increased risks of severe vehicle interactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor example, we can accommodate the risk of distracted walking and design safer infrastructure by adjusting crosswalk signal cycles or introducing audio signals to let pedestrians know when it is time to cross,\u201d added co-author Tala Alsharif, a civil engineering graduate student at UBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drivers also displayed altered behaviors when approaching distracted pedestrians, often decelerating to account for their unpredictable movements. This recognition from drivers highlights the broader community and infrastructural effort needed to address the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research underlines the importance of designing urban environments that account for distracted walking. Suggested interventions include sensor-based alert systems, designated mobile-free zones and even mobile notifications that prevent phone usage while crossing streets. Visual and auditory cues at crosswalks could also enhance pedestrian awareness and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;By incorporating our findings into future research and traffic management approaches, we\u2019ll be better able to assess pedestrian risks and develop strategies to improve road safety,&#8221; added co-author Gabriel Lanzaro, a graduate student in civil engineering at UBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This groundbreaking study not only sheds light on the dangers of distracted walking but also paves the way for smarter urban planning and infrastructure improvements that can enhance pedestrian safety across major cities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pedestrians who text or talk on their phones while walking are at significantly higher risk of accidents, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia. Research conducted at two busy intersections in downtown Vancouver has shown that distracted pedestrians have a 45% increased likelihood of near-miss incidents with vehicles compared to their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Pedestrians who text or talk on their phones while walking are at significantly higher risk of accidents, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia. Research conducted at two busy intersections in downtown Vancouver has shown that distracted pedestrians have a 45% increased likelihood of near-miss incidents with vehicles compared to their&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7099"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7119,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7099\/revisions\/7119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}