“It’s a concern, and I would say it’s a big concern,” said Jack Nasar, a professor in Ohio State’s Department of City and Regional Planning who has researched pedestrians.
“People are becoming more aware of the issues with being distracted while driving, especially texting while driving. But with pedestrians, they think, ‘Well, I should be able to walk and chew gum or do multiple things.’ ”
For Nasar’s research, he studied data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding the number of traffic-related visitors to emergency rooms. While the numbers don’t describe the entire issue, because visitors might not admit to distractions or even be asked about them, Nasar said injuries to pedestrians using devices is increasing faster than those to drivers.
Other experts said the issue of distracted pedestrians is not new. They just have more things to distract them.
“The number of devices might have grown, but drivers and pedestrians have been taking their eyes off the road since the car was developed,” said Richard Blomberg, president of Stamford, Conn.-based Dunlap and Associates, Inc., a consulting firm that conducts pedestrian research for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“(Distracted drivers and pedestrians) is a new label, but it’s not a new phenomenon.”
Ohio State Highway Patrol data shows that improper crossing was the leading pedestrian cause of accidents in 2011, followed by darting and lying in a roadway.
A steady concern is alcohol use by pedestrians. NHTSA statistics show that one-third of accidents that resulted in pedestrian fatalities in 2010 involved legally drunk pedestrians, while only 14 percent involved legally drunk drivers. While the number of legally drunk pedestrians involved in fatalities has dropped, from 1,642 in 2006 to 1,409 in 2010, the percentage of overall fatalities has hovered near one-third.
“We know the dangers of drinking and driving, but they’re similar with drinking and walking,” Nasar said. “I suppose if you’re drunk and using your cell phone, then you’re in real trouble.”
Officials have taken action in an attempt to reduce crashes between vehicles and pedestrians. Lt. Gary Lewis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Columbus post formed a relationship with the statewide gas station chain Duke and Duchess Shoppe to distribute neon green bags with purchases so the pedestrians will be more visible. Lewis said he initiated the program because of the growing number of pedestrian fatalities in Franklin County, and his research caused him to pursue addressing the issue throughout Ohio.
“Clearly, these are preventable, and you just have to go back to pedestrian safety 101,” Lewis said. “Walk going against traffic, be in areas of high visibility and lighting, look both ways before you cross. Those are the messages we’re pushing.”
Experts said problems arise when pedestrians give too much attention to actions or devices and not to the roadways. Blomberg suggested pausing a cell phone call when crossing the street, while others said waiting to return a text message until stopped can decrease risk.
Overall, pedestrians are much safer than they were several decades ago. National pedestrian fatalities decreased 43 percent between 1975 and 2010, while pedestrian injuries went down 46 percent in the same period.
But just because most feel safer while walking then driving, experts said the more that pedestrians pay attention to the road, the more they can watch out for drivers who might also be distracted.
“You are 50 percent of the responsibility regardless of which role you’re playing,” Blomberg said. “It takes a failure by two parties to create a problem, and if one of those parties is not paying attention, that increases the risk.”
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