WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – You've undoubtedly heard of — and witnessed — the menace of distracting driving.
Now, here's another digital diversion to worry about — distracted walking.
The percentage of pedestrians killed while using cellphones rose to more than 3.5 percent in 2010 from less than 1 percent in 2004, according to a study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University. The number of pedestrians injured while using their cellphones doubled.
Dr. Scott McFarland, emergency room director at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, is not surprised. McFarland said at least two people show up to his emergency room every week who are victims of distracted walking. That number is probably higher, McFarland said, but some patients are too embarrassed to say they were hurt while hypnotized by electronics.
"Walking around with your head in the clouds, unconcerned about the dangers around you, is almost like a death wish," McFarland said.
Most of the distracted walkers that show up to McFarland's emergency room are limited to sprains and broken bones. But the result can be deadly.
Jesus Villalobos, a 16-year-old boy from Colombia attending Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach, Fla., was struck and killed by a Florida East Coast Railway train Dec. 8 as he walked along the railroad track. Delray Beach police detectives said the boy was wearing headphones and may not have heard the approaching train.
The issue of distracted walking has become so serious that, for the first time, the National Safety Council added the category to its annual report on unintentional deaths and injuries in 2015. Google "distracted walking" and there are no shortage of examples depicting bizarre and sometimes deadly instances.
