New research from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, which looks at real-world interactions between pedestrians and vehicles on busy streets, shows that phone use while walking by pedestrians leads to greater safety risks.
Previous studies have suggested that , such as for texting or talking, carries with it a higher risk of pedestrians being hit by cars, due to an inability to react to nearby traffic or deviate from crosswalks marked.
In fact, the new study, recently published in the journal , found that distracted pedestrians are often less aware of their surroundings, making fewer adjustments to their path or speed, which reduces their overall navigational efficiency. This level of distraction can increase the severity of vehicle interactions and near miss incidents by 45%.
Using the phone while walking, a danger to pedestrians
“Pedestrians who were not distracted made safer choices when . They maintained greater distances from vehicles, allowed traffic to pass more frequently, and adjusted their speed when necessary,” said Dr. Tarek Sayed, professor of civil engineering and transportation safety expert, who led the research team.
The researchers also noticed differences in driver behavior. They often slowed down when approaching distracted pedestrians, a sign that they recognized the increased risk caused by their unpredictable movements, .
The study used a computer vision system developed at UBC and AI-based simulation models to analyze video traffic data from two busy intersections in downtown Vancouver. The analysis focused on distracted pedestrians (those who were texting, reading on the phone, talking on the phone or listening to music), attentive pedestrians and traffic conflicts, i.e. situations where road users such as vehicles and pedestrians are on a path collision and are at risk of an accident.
How can roads be made safer for pedestrians?
The results can contribute to pedestrians and the creation of interventions aimed at reducing traffic risks. “For example, we can consider the risk of distracted walking and design safer infrastructure by adjusting traffic light cycles at crossings or introducing audio signals to inform pedestrians when it’s time to cross. Urban planners could also display specific warnings for pedestrians distracted by their phones, or even introduce mobile notifications to prevent phone use while pedestrians are crossing,” explained study co-author Tala Alsharif, a civil engineering student at UBC.
These insights can also support infrastructure design by identifying high-risk areas that should be free of mobile devices and implementing methods such as sensor-based warning systems to minimize distraction. In places with a high frequency of pedestrian distraction, raised crosswalks could make pedestrians more visible to drivers.
“By integrating our findings into future research and traffic management approaches, we will be able to better assess the risks to pedestrians and develop strategies to improve road safety,” said Gabriel Lanzaro, a UBC civil engineering student and co-author of the study.
