LOL. BRB. G2G. OUCH.
Texting is the norm these days, and more and more people are multitasking while using an electronic device.
Norma Marceus, a 21-year-old UF public relations senior, admits she’s one of those people.
“I actually just did it,” Marceus said. “I was walking and texting and listening to music.”
Marceus isn’t the only one using her cellphone while walking, but she is one of the lucky ones who hasn’t gotten hurt as a result.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1,152 people in the U.S. were treated in hospital emergency rooms last year for injuries they got while walking and using their electronic devices.
The number of reported injuries has more than quadrupled in the past seven years, and it’s likely to be an underestimate, according to reports by the Associated Press.
Dr. Phillip Barkley, director of the Student Health Care Center, said he isn’t surprised to see such a high number of injuries being reported as a result of using an electronic device while walking.
“It makes sense that if people are walking and not paying attention to their environment that they are putting themselves in risk of injury,” Barkley said.
According to the latest data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic deaths in 2010 were lower than the year before but pedestrian fatalities rose by 4.2 percent and injuries by 19 percent.
UF police Captain Jeff Holcomb said he thinks people get too complacent with what they’re doing and don’t pay enough attention to their safety.
“I think it’s just the convenience of being able to [text and walk] and not wanting to take those few minutes to do it safely and stop,” he said.
If you’re tempted to use your device and walk at the same time just stop walking and find a safe place, he said.
Marceus said she understands how people could get hurt and said it’s her generation’s need to stay connected all the time that motivates a lot of those who walk and use an electronic device.
“I think next time I’ll just stop and finish what I’m doing and then continue walking with a clear head and paying more attention to my surroundings,” she said.
