fast facts 

 The Hazards of Using Mobile Devices While Walking April 2010 

Office of Compliance 

advancing safety, health, and workplace rights in the legislative branch 

www.compliance.gov 

Doctors and safety experts are increasingly concerned about the risk associated with distraction while walking. What are people so 

captivated by: responding to or sending text messages, talking on cell phones, or using some type of mobile device with headphones 

to listen to music while walking? Preoccupied and distracted pedestrians have become common on busy city streets. This loss of 

situational awareness is similar to that of a distracted driver. The result can be injury or death. 

Walking using electronic 

devices can cause injury or 

death: 

Several recent cases confirm 

the hazards associated with 

walking while texting, talking 

on cell phones, or listening to 

mobile devices. A teenage girl 

in New York City fell six feet 

through an open manhole while 

texting. She sustained minor 

injuries but was exposed to raw 

sewage. A Florida teen was not so 

fortunate; he died from injuries 

received when he stepped into the path of oncoming cars as he 

crossed a busy city street while texting. A university exchange 

student stepped into the path of a bus while jogging and listening 

to an Ipod in North Carolina. A man sustained a broken finger 

when he tripped and fell while talking on his cell phone. It is 

worth noting that at least three people in the Washington D.C. 

area have died in accidents this past year while wearing headphones. As these few examples indicate, walking while using 

electronic devices has become a common hazard that needs to be 

addressed. The American College of Emergency Physicians has 

issued a warning that texting while walking, driving, biking, or 

rollerblading can result in serious injury or even death. 

Several studies document electronic devices and associated 

hazards: 

A study conducted by Ohio State University showed that more 

than 1,000 pedestrians visited emergency rooms in 2008 because 

they were distracted and tripped, fell, or ran into something while 

using a cell phone to talk or text. The study showed that young 

people injured themselves more often than adults. Half of the 

people injured were under the age of 30, with a quarter of those 

being between the ages of 16 and 20. 

Texting While Crossing the 

Street 

Pedestrians, much like drivers, have always multi-tasked by 

doing things such as snacking or reading on the move. 

Researchers are trying to determine what makes distracted walking with mobile devices so different from other types of multitasking. A study conducted at Western Washington University 

in Bellingham, Washington by psychologist and professor Ira 

Hyman and his students noted that talking on a cell phone takes 

a toll on cognition and awareness. The study showed that 

pedestrians using their cell phones often did not notice objects 

or people in their path. They also found a type of preoccupation 

called “inattention blindness,” meaning that a person can be 

looking at an object but fail to register it or process what it is. 

Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, 

San Francisco explained that cell phone conversations tax auditory functions in the brain as well as visual functions. Using 

both functions simultaneously prompts the listener to create 

visual imagery related to the conversation in a way that overrides or obscures the processing of real images. 

A 2009 article highlighted cell phone studies conducted by Professor Peter D. Loeb of Rutgers University; William A. Clarke, 

Bentley University; and Richard Anderson, New Jersey City 

University. The studies compared the use of cell phones while 

walking or driving in traffic and pedestrian fatality statistics. 

The report recommended that governments consider more 

aggressive policies to reduce cell phone use by both drivers and 

pedestrians in order to reduce the number of deaths. 

Sign: Caution pedestrian texting 
What can be done to reduce this public safety risk? 

Several methods should be considered when assessing how to 

reduce the injuries associated with distracted walking, including legislation, additional research, gathering additional statistics, and public education. 

Legislation: 

Cell phone usage and texting while driving have been a concern for several years. Research has shown that there are 

similarities in distraction behind the wheel of a moving vehicle and walking. Several states have passed laws making the 

use of a cell phone illegal while operating vehicles. “Hands 

free” devices have become a popular way to continue operating a vehicle while talking on the phone. The Department of 

Transportation recently issued a regulation that prohibits commercial drivers of trucks and buses from texting while driving. 

Fewer laws ban texting while 

walking. Several states have 

attempted to restrict the use 

of electronic devices while 

walking and met with public 

outcry. Each of the proposed 

bills has quietly died before 

becoming law. Illinois was 

the first state during the 2007

-2008 session to consider a 

ban on using a cell phone 

while crossing a street. Violation of this law was a petty 

offense and only carried a fine 

of $25.00. In 2007, a New 

York State Senator proposed a bill to make it illegal to listen 

to any kind of portable electronic device, music or video 

player, cell phone, smart phone, gaming device, etc., while 

crossing the street in cities such as New York, Albany, and 

Buffalo. Joggers and bicyclists would have to limit the use of 

these items to city parks in which no street crossing would be 

involved. Florida and Wisconsin have proposed similar laws. 

To date (April 2010), not one piece of legislation has been 

passed into law. 

Sign: No Pedestrian Crossing 

with MP3 player 

Text messaging is a common means of communications, especially among teens. According to CTIA-The Wireless Association, the mobile industry’s trade association, approximately 75 

billion SMS texts were sent in June 2009. Another study conducted by the University of Birmingham focused on children 

using cell phones. The study found: 

 Students using cell phones took up to 20% longer to 

cross the street than children who were not using a cell 

phone; 

 Slow-crossing students with cell phones were up to 43% 

more likely to be hit by a vehicle while crossing the 

street; and 

 Children looked both ways 20% fewer times when crossing the street while using cell phones.

Studies done in several other countries have shown that 

distracted walking is a hazard that is not unique to the United 

States. Research conducted in both Japan and England show 

similar increases in this trend. An experiment was conducted in 

London’s busy Brick Lane area which was identified as the top 

spot for London’s 68,000 texting accidents in 2007. Lampposts 

and other obstructions were wrapped and padded to minimize 

injury to pedestrians who texted and talked on cell phones as 

they walked. Cameras were installed to capture pictures of 

people running into these obstructions and record incident 

frequency. The idea could be rolled out to other London 

texting hotspots if this trial is successful. 

 

From life-taking to life-saving effect and back again: 

Another study highlights cell phone history. It found that in the 

late 1980’s, cell phones caused a “life-taking effect” among 

pedestrians, and vehicle occupants. The authors found that fatalities increased even though there were fewer than a million 

phones, primarily because there were not enough cell phones in 

use to make a difference in summoning help following an accident. The “life-saving effect” occurred as the volume of phone 

use increased in the early 1990’s. People with cell phones were 

able to call 911 following accidents which resulted in improved 

medical response and a drop in fatalities. However, according 

to the study, the “life-saving effect” has been canceled out by 

the fact that once the number of cell phones reached about 100 

million, the “life-taking effect” of increased accidents and fatalities outweighed the benefits of quick access to 911 services. 

Britain's 'safe text' street features padded lamppost 

Additional studies and better statistics: 

Additional research and improved data are needed to determine 

the impact of distracted walking. Although hospital statistics 

show that injuries are being reported, researchers suspect that 

this is just the tip of the iceberg. Some of the injuries may not 

be reported because they are minor and do not require medical 

treatment, or people are too embarrassed to seek treatment. 

Although several research projects have been undertaken, there 

are no federal entities formally collecting statistics on injuries or 

deaths involving electronic devices or distracted pedestrians. 

Further, no uniform reporting system exists between the states to 

track this information. Mobile electronic devices are increasing 

in number, and it is anticipated by researchers that injuries are 

increasing as well. 
 

This information does not constitute advice or an official ruling of the Office of Compliance or the Board of 

Directors and is intended for educational purposes only. For further information or comments concerning this 

Fast Facts, please refer to the Congressional Accountability Act (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) and the regulations 

issued by the Board, or you may contact the Office of Compliance, 202-724-9249.

The Office of Compliance advances safety, health, 

and workplace rights in the U.S. Congress and the 

Legislative Branch. Established as an independent 

agency by the Congressional Accountability Act of 

1995, the Office educates employees and employing 

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the Act. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to 

contact the Office of Compliance: 

Room LA 200, John Adams Building 

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Peter Ames Eveleth 

General Counsel 

Mary-Margaret Smith 

Editor Download the entire Fast Facts suite at http://www.compliance.gov 

Fast Stats 

Hazards of using mobile devices while walking: 

 Cell Phones: Inattention to surroundings or lack of situational awareness 

 Texting while walking: Eyes taken away from path of travel and inattention to surroundings 

 MP3 players with headphones: Noise-induced hearing loss and inattention to surroundings

How to prevent accidents from distracted walking? 

 Don’t walk, talk and text. 

 If you have to talk or text, move to the side of the walkway out of the way of others. 

 Never cross or walk in the street while using an electronic device. 

 Do not walk with headphones in your ears. 

 Keep track of your surroundings. 

Distracted walking statistics, research projects, and experts: 

 Western Washington University - Ira Hyman, Professor of Psychology 

 University of California, San Francisco- Adam Gazzaley , Neuroscientist 

 Ohio State University – Jack Nasar, professor of City and Regional Planning 

 University of Birmingham-Doctoral student Despina Stavrinos, M.S.; under the direction of UAB Psychologist David Schwebel, 

PhD.; and UAB graduate student Katherine Byington 

 American College of Emergency Physicians – President, Nicholas Jouriles 

 Carnegie Mellon University – Unknown researchers 

 New York University – Richard Weiner, Professor of Environmental Psychology 

 Rutgers University – Peter D. Loeb, Professor of Economics 

 Bentley University – William A. Clark 

 New Jersey City University – Richard Anderson 

 Safe Kids USA-A non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental childhood injury 

National Safety Council: Distracted Driving page – 

http://www.nsc.org/safetyroad/Distracted Driving/Pages/distracteddriving.aspx

Public Awareness and Education: 

Increasing public awareness of the hazards associated with distracted walking is the key to preventing these types of accidents. Programs 

targeting young and middle aged persons are imperative since it appears that these are the persons most affected. In California and Texas, 

campaigns warning pedestrians to be focused on their safety when walking have emerged. San Francisco adopted a huge media blitz 

warning walkers about the dangers of headphones while walking. One of the ads asks “Do you want Beethoven to be the last thing you 

hear?” Joe Farren, a spokesman for CTIA, summed it up by saying, “Unfortunately, you can’t legislate common sense. We always 

encourage people to put safety first even if that means waiting to listen or make a phone call.” Keeping in touch is important, but it is 

more important to be alive to get the message.