Annual Probability of Distracted Walking Injury

Distracted walking, primarily from smartphone use, has become a growing safety concern. Emergency room visits for phone-related pedestrian injuries have more than tripled since 2010, with approximately 2,500 injuries per year now attributed to distracted walking. The actual number is believed to be significantly higher, as many incidents go unreported.

Common injuries from distracted walking include trips and falls (the most common), walking into stationary objects (poles, signs, glass doors), stepping off curbs into traffic, and falling into fountains, holes, or construction areas. About 11% of pedestrian fatalities may involve distracted walking, though this is difficult to measure definitively.

Research shows that pedestrians using phones walk more slowly, deviate more from their path, and are less likely to look both ways before crossing streets. About 60% of pedestrians admit to using their phones while crossing streets. Several cities (including Honolulu and Montclair, California) have enacted "distracted walking" laws that fine pedestrians for using phones in crosswalks. Proposed solutions include textured pavement at crosswalks, ground-level traffic signals, and smartphone apps that pause notifications when walking.