Distracted walking results in more injuries

You may be able to chew gum and walk at the same time, but don't try to text and walk. Distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than does distracted driving, according to a Buffalo, New York, emergency room physician. Consequences of texting while walking include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. The issue is so common in London that bumpers have been placed on light posts along a busy sidewalk to prevent people from slamming into them. "When texting, you're not as in control with the complex actions of walking," says Dr. Dietrich Jehle, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Buffalo and an attending physician at Erie County Medical Center. "While talking on the phone is a distraction, texting is much more dangerous because you can't see the path in front of you." Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently. In general, pedestrians face three types of distraction: manual, in which they are doing something else; visual, where they see something else; and cognitive, in which their mind is somewhere else. What can you do? Go old school! Take a break from your phone and enjoy the scenery while you walk.