Smartphones May Be to Blame for Unprecedented Spike in Pedestrian Deaths

Megalith

Megalith

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It turns out that 2016 has been a record year for pedestrian deaths in the US. Six thousand fatalities occurred last year, which is the highest number in more than 20 years. Pedestrian deaths have also grown at four times the rate of overall traffic deaths since 2010. Smartphones are immediately blamed, but I wonder if all the infotainment systems and other detractors that come in more and more vehicles may play a part, too.

"The why is elusive. We don't know all the reasons," Retting said. "Clearly lots of things are contributing. But not one of these other factors have changed dramatically." The thing that has changed dramatically in recent years is smartphone use. The volume of wireless data used from 2014 to 2015 more than doubled, according to the Wireless Association. Drivers and pedestrians who are distracted by their smartphones are less likely to be aware of their surroundings, creating the potential for danger. "Somebody staring at their phone for two seconds at 40 mph has covered a very long distance," Retting said. "It's not hard to imagine a pedestrian at the wrong place, wrong time, never being seen by the driver."
 
I want to know what people who constantly have their noses in their phones are doing. Gaming? Texting? What do they find so enthralling in those few square inches in their hand?
 
So
SvenBent said:
Idiots With No Commonsense May Be to Blame for Unprecedented Spike in Pedestrian Deaths
In Other New: Darwins theory still working.
Click to expand...

Isn't the article suggesting that morons that are looking down at their phone while driving is the biggest culprit?

In that regard, they are killing the smart ones and the stupid ones in the car are still living/breathing.

This isn't Darwin's theory, it's the movie Idiocracy in the making!
 
Where I live, I've seen a 2 or 3 fold rise in the number of pedestrians over the last few years. A lesser increase in fatalities, would technically be an improvement.

The other thing I've noticed is the major entitlement attitude that a lot of pedestrians have. A lot of people seem to think that pedestrians always have the right away, and will not hesitate to just stroll right into traffic.

From what I can tell, none of this has anything to do with phones.
 
Cyraxx said:
So


Isn't the article suggesting that morons that are looking down at their phone while driving is the biggest culprit?

In that regard, they are killing the smart ones and the stupid ones in the car are still living/breathing.

This isn't Darwin's theory, it's the movie Idiocracy in the making!
Click to expand...

Point taken. Corrected subtitle :D
 
It's fucking terrible in Waikiki. Fucking Asian tourists with no common sense bolt out into the street while looking at their cell phones every 20 feet.
 
Maybe "smart"phones are a dumb idea after all. And which govt idiots thought that putting distractomatic screens in cars was a safety feature?
 
Smashing Young Man said:
I want to know what people who constantly have their noses in their phones are doing. Gaming? Texting? What do they find so enthralling in those few square inches in their hand?
Click to expand...

I prefer the round inches in my hand. LOL

Mose of the idiots I work with are doing the social media BS on their phones. I do not feel the need to post on social media every time I take a dump.
 
I've definitely noticed an increase in idiots waltzing out into the street without looking, some with their noses buried in a smartphone but most lacking even that excuse. I believe the increase in fatalities is due to quieter vehicles. Not just EVs and Priuses, but all engines have gotten a lot quieter, and a significant part of the population never learned to look both ways before crossing the street, thinking that if they don't hear an engine there must not be any cars coming.
 
Up nationwide, but down in California. Which is kinda surprising since we have so many cars and people living here. I might be because of the many anti-distracted driving laws and programs here.

http://www.dailynews.com/general-ne...deaths-rise-nationwide-but-fall-in-california


"The bad news is that many pedestrians may have shared blame in their deaths, with a third of them being legally drunk when they were hit, and nearly three-fourths of them being killed while between road and highway intersections, including jaywalking."

I was surprised about this statistic. Might be also a side affect of the anti-drunk driving programs. Drunk figured they can't drive so they walk it off right into traffic.....
 
Yeah, I never have had a problem with someone accidentally walking out in front of me while driving my SS454 Chevelle with headers and not so quiet mufflers....


arthur_tuxedo said:
I've definitely noticed an increase in idiots waltzing out into the street without looking, some with their noses buried in a smartphone but most lacking even that excuse. I believe the increase in fatalities is due to quieter vehicles. Not just EVs and Priuses, but all engines have gotten a lot quieter, and a significant part of the population never learned to look both ways before crossing the street, thinking that if they don't hear an engine there must not be any cars coming.
Click to expand...
 
Time for a quick governmental over-reaction bill to ban Cell Phones !!!
 
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