Safety hazards have been noted due to pedestrians walking slowly and without attention to their surroundings because they are focused upon their smartphones. Texting pedestrians may trip over curbs, walk out in front of cars and bump into other walkers. The field of vision of a smartphone user is estimated to be just 5% of a normal pedestrian's.[1]
People using phones while walking
Some cities have taken design measures to make the streets safer for inattentive pedestrians, including lights embedded in pavements, and dedicated lanes for smartphone-using pedestrians to use.
The pejorative term smartphone zombie has been used to describe inattentive phone users;[2] this phrase was sometimes blended to smombie in German[3] and has seen some English usage.[4] In Hong Kong such phone users are called dai tau juk ("the head-down tribe").[5] A 2017 review considered the popular culture term in regards to the medical diagnoses of internet addiction disorder and other forms of digital media overuse.[6]
In March 2023, Accident Analysis & Prevention published a systematic review of 47 samples across 45 studies investigating associations between problematic mobile phone use and road safety outcomes (including 32 samples of drivers, 9 samples of pedestrians, 5 samples with road use type unspecified, and 1 sample of motorcyclists and bicyclists) that found that problematic mobile phone use was associated with greater risk of simultaneous mobile phone use and road use and risk of vehicle collisions and pedestrian collisions or falls.[7]
In Chongqing, China, the government constructed a dedicated smartphone-sidewalk in 2014, separating the phone users and the non-phone users.[8][9][10] A similar scheme was introduced in Antwerp the following year.[11]
In Augsburg, Bodegraven and Cologne, ground-level traffic lights embedded in the pavement have been introduced so that they are more visible to preoccupied pedestrians,[12][13] while traffic signals at an intersection in Zagreb cast the red light downwards, producing glare on smartphone screens.[14]
In Seoul, warning signs have been placed on the pavement at dangerous intersections following over a thousand road accidents caused by smartphones in South Korea in 2014.[15] The city has also implemented traffic lights embedded to the ground to pass the indication to the pedestrian even he is fully immersed to his smartphone experience.
Smartphone zombie light in green
Smartphone zombie light in green, close up
Smartphone zombie light in red
Smartphone zombie light in red, close up
Phone technologyedit
An app which uses the phone's camera to make the screen appear transparent can be used to provide some warning of hazards.[16]
Legal measuresedit
In October 2017, the City of Honolulu, Hawaii introduced a measure to fine pedestrians looking at smartphones while crossing the road.[17] In 2019, China introduced penalties for "activities affecting other vehicles or pedestrians" and a woman was fined 10 yuan in Wenzhou.[18]
In fictionedit
Science fiction author Ray Bradbury wrote about people being distracted by miniaturised technology in the 1950s, in his stories such as The Pedestrian and Fahrenheit 451.[19][20][21] He wrote in 1958 of observing a couple walking in Beverly Hills, the woman listening to a small transistor radio "oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleepwalking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there".[22]
Pokémon Go, a mobile game designed to be played outdoors
Referencesedit
^"Japan's smartphone 'zombies' turn urban areas into human pinball", Japan Times, 17 November 2014
^Chatfield, Tom. "The new words that expose our smartphone obsessions". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
^Wordsworth, Dot (17 December 2020). "The word of the year (whether we like it or not)". The Spectator. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
^English, BBC Learning. "BBC Learning English - The English We Speak / Smombie". BBC Learning English. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
^Mark Sharp (2 March 2015), "Beware the Smartphone Zombies Blindly Wandering Around Hong Kong", South China Morning Post
^Duke, Éilish; Montag, Christian (2017), Montag, Christian; Reuter, Martin (eds.), "Smartphone Addiction and Beyond: Initial Insights on an Emerging Research Topic and Its Relationship to Internet Addiction", Internet Addiction: Neuroscientific Approaches and Therapeutical Implications Including Smartphone Addiction, Studies in Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavioral Economics, Springer International Publishing, pp. 359–372, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_21, ISBN9783319462769
^Rahmillah, Fety Ilma; Tariq, Amina; King, Mark; Oviedo-Trespalacios, Oscar (2023). "Is distraction on the road associated with maladaptive mobile phone use? A systematic review". Accident Analysis & Prevention. 181. Elsevier: 106900. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2022.106900. PMID 36580764.
^David Raven (15 September 2014), "World's first mobile phone walking lane for 'zombie pedestrians' addicted to texting", Daily Mirror
^Heather Chen (7 September 2015), Asia's Smartphone Addiction, Singapore: BBC News
^Leo Benedictus (15 September 2014), "Chinese city opens 'phone lane' for texting pedestrians", The Guardian
^David Chazan (14 Jun 2015), "Antwerp introduces 'text walking lanes' for pedestrians using mobile phones", Daily Telegraph, Paris
^Pavement lights guide 'smartphone zombies', BBC, 16 February 2017
^Janek Schmidt (29 April 2016), "Always practise safe text: the German traffic light for smartphone zombies", The Guardian
^"U Zagrebu postavljen semafor koji upozorava pješake zadubljene u mobitele". Tportal.hr (in Croatian). Zagreb, Croatia. HINA. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
^Max Bearak (21 June 2016), "Seoul wants 'smartphone zombies' to read road signs instead", Washington Post
^Peter Apps (31 March 2014), "'Transparent' iPhones: A text and walk plan for those trying to do two things at once", Independent
^Brett Molina (25 October 2017), "Looking at your phone while crossing the street will cost you in Honolulu", USA Today
^George Pierpoint, Kerry Allen (17 January 2019), 'Smartphone zombie' fine cheered on Chinese social media, BBC News
^Jeff Miller (24 October 2014), "Put down the smartphone and make a real connection", Augusta Chronicle[permanent dead link]
^Jordan Oloman (16 May 2016), "Word of the Year: SMOMBIES", The Courier[permanent dead link]
^Hayley Tsukayama (7 June 2012), "10 Ray Bradbury predictions that came true", Washington Post
^Ray Bradbury (2 May 1953), "The Day After Tomorrow: Why Science Fiction?", The Nation
Further readingedit
Hookham, Mark; Togoh, Isabel; Yeates, Alex (21 February 2016). . The Sunday Times. UK. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016.
Hatton, Celia (15 September 2014). "Chongqing's 'mobile lane'". BBC News. UK: BBC.
External linksedit
Media related to People walking with smartphones at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
smartphones, pedestrian, safety, safety, hazards, have, been, noted, pedestrians, walking, slowly, without, attention, their, surroundings, because, they, focused, upon, their, smartphones, texting, pedestrians, trip, over, curbs, walk, front, cars, bump, into. Safety hazards have been noted due to pedestrians walking slowly and without attention to their surroundings because they are focused upon their smartphones Texting pedestrians may trip over curbs walk out in front of cars and bump into other walkers The field of vision of a smartphone user is estimated to be just 5 of a normal pedestrian s 1 People using phones while walking Some cities have taken design measures to make the streets safer for inattentive pedestrians including lights embedded in pavements and dedicated lanes for smartphone using pedestrians to use The pejorative term smartphone zombie has been used to describe inattentive phone users 2 this phrase was sometimes blended to smombie in German 3 and has seen some English usage 4 In Hong Kong such phone users are called dai tau juk the head down tribe 5 A 2017 review considered the popular culture term in regards to the medical diagnoses of internet addiction disorder and other forms of digital media overuse 6 Contents 1 Problematic mobile phone use 2 Urban design 3 Phone technology 4 Legal measures 5 In fiction 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksProblematic mobile phone use editSee also Problematic smartphone use This section is an excerpt from Digital media use and mental health Distracted road use edit In March 2023 Accident Analysis amp Prevention published a systematic review of 47 samples across 45 studies investigating associations between problematic mobile phone use and road safety outcomes including 32 samples of drivers 9 samples of pedestrians 5 samples with road use type unspecified and 1 sample of motorcyclists and bicyclists that found that problematic mobile phone use was associated with greater risk of simultaneous mobile phone use and road use and risk of vehicle collisions and pedestrian collisions or falls 7 Urban design edit nbsp A warning sign in Osaka In Chongqing China the government constructed a dedicated smartphone sidewalk in 2014 separating the phone users and the non phone users 8 9 10 A similar scheme was introduced in Antwerp the following year 11 In Augsburg Bodegraven and Cologne ground level traffic lights embedded in the pavement have been introduced so that they are more visible to preoccupied pedestrians 12 13 while traffic signals at an intersection in Zagreb cast the red light downwards producing glare on smartphone screens 14 In Seoul warning signs have been placed on the pavement at dangerous intersections following over a thousand road accidents caused by smartphones in South Korea in 2014 15 The city has also implemented traffic lights embedded to the ground to pass the indication to the pedestrian even he is fully immersed to his smartphone experience nbsp Smartphone zombie light in green nbsp Smartphone zombie light in green close up nbsp Smartphone zombie light in red nbsp Smartphone zombie light in red close upPhone technology editAn app which uses the phone s camera to make the screen appear transparent can be used to provide some warning of hazards 16 Legal measures editIn October 2017 the City of Honolulu Hawaii introduced a measure to fine pedestrians looking at smartphones while crossing the road 17 In 2019 China introduced penalties for activities affecting other vehicles or pedestrians and a woman was fined 10 yuan in Wenzhou 18 In fiction editScience fiction author Ray Bradbury wrote about people being distracted by miniaturised technology in the 1950s in his stories such as The Pedestrian and Fahrenheit 451 19 20 21 He wrote in 1958 of observing a couple walking in Beverly Hills the woman listening to a small transistor radio oblivious to man and dog listening to far winds and whispers and soap opera cries sleepwalking helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there 22 See also edit nbsp Telephones portal Digital zombie Jaywalking Mobile phones and driving safety Mobile phone overuse Phubbing Pokemon Go a mobile game designed to be played outdoorsReferences edit Japan s smartphone zombies turn urban areas into human pinball Japan Times 17 November 2014 Chatfield Tom The new words that expose our smartphone obsessions www bbc com Retrieved 2019 01 22 Wordsworth Dot 17 December 2020 The word of the year whether we like it or not The Spectator Retrieved 17 April 2023 English BBC Learning BBC Learning English The English We Speak Smombie BBC Learning English Retrieved 25 April 2023 Mark Sharp 2 March 2015 Beware the Smartphone Zombies Blindly Wandering Around Hong Kong South China Morning Post Duke Eilish Montag Christian 2017 Montag Christian Reuter Martin eds Smartphone Addiction and Beyond Initial Insights on an Emerging Research Topic and Its Relationship to Internet Addiction Internet Addiction Neuroscientific Approaches and Therapeutical Implications Including Smartphone Addiction Studies in Neuroscience Psychology and Behavioral Economics Springer International Publishing pp 359 372 doi 10 1007 978 3 319 46276 9 21 ISBN 9783319462769 Rahmillah Fety Ilma Tariq Amina King Mark Oviedo Trespalacios Oscar 2023 Is distraction on the road associated with maladaptive mobile phone use A systematic review Accident Analysis amp Prevention 181 Elsevier 106900 doi 10 1016 j aap 2022 106900 PMID 36580764 David Raven 15 September 2014 World s first mobile phone walking lane for zombie pedestrians addicted to texting Daily Mirror Heather Chen 7 September 2015 Asia s Smartphone Addiction Singapore BBC News Leo Benedictus 15 September 2014 Chinese city opens phone lane for texting pedestrians The Guardian David Chazan 14 Jun 2015 Antwerp introduces text walking lanes for pedestrians using mobile phones Daily Telegraph Paris Pavement lights guide smartphone zombies BBC 16 February 2017 Janek Schmidt 29 April 2016 Always practise safe text the German traffic light for smartphone zombies The Guardian U Zagrebu postavljen semafor koji upozorava pjesake zadubljene u mobitele Tportal hr in Croatian Zagreb Croatia HINA 12 October 2019 Retrieved 14 February 2022 Max Bearak 21 June 2016 Seoul wants smartphone zombies to read road signs instead Washington Post Peter Apps 31 March 2014 Transparent iPhones A text and walk plan for those trying to do two things at once Independent Brett Molina 25 October 2017 Looking at your phone while crossing the street will cost you in Honolulu USA Today George Pierpoint Kerry Allen 17 January 2019 Smartphone zombie fine cheered on Chinese social media BBC News Jeff Miller 24 October 2014 Put down the smartphone and make a real connection Augusta Chronicle permanent dead link Jordan Oloman 16 May 2016 Word of the Year SMOMBIES The Courier permanent dead link Hayley Tsukayama 7 June 2012 10 Ray Bradbury predictions that came true Washington Post Ray Bradbury 2 May 1953 The Day After Tomorrow Why Science Fiction The NationFurther reading editHookham Mark Togoh Isabel Yeates Alex 21 February 2016 Walkers hit by curse of the smombie The Sunday Times UK Archived from the original on February 22 2016 Hatton Celia 15 September 2014 Chongqing s mobile lane BBC News UK BBC External links edit nbsp Media related to People walking with smartphones at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Smartphones and pedestrian safety amp oldid 1220048470, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
