According to Dailytech.com, a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center reveals the danger of wearing headphones while walking. The lead author of the study, Richard Lichenstein, M.D., determined that injuries to pedestrians who were wearing headphones have tripled over the last six years.
The research team conducted the study by examining cases where headphones were involved in serious pedestrian injuries and fatalities from car or train crashes from 2004-2011 reports from various organizations and databases, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPSC) and Google News Archives.
The study yielded some very interesting results. The following are a few highlights:
- Nearly three quarters of the headphone-related injuries were fatal.
- About 55 percent of the vehicles involved in the headphone-related accidents were trains.
- 29 percent of the vehicles involved used some type of audible warning system, such as a horn, to let pedestrians know they were there.
Lichenstein said the accidents examined in the research study were caused by pedestrians being distracted by their devices and blocking the sounds of warning systems with their headphones, which he calls sensory deprivation. Lichenstein feels that with more and more enticing devices, the risk of injury increases from both distraction and the blocking out of other sounds. He also asserts that the dangers of distracted driving have been well documented, but the dangers of teens walking while distracted with headphones and devices is an increasing problem that warrants attention.
This new study reveals the risks of wearing headphones while traveling on two feet, but pedestrians still face a variety of dangers on Illinois streets, such as distracted drivers. If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident in Illinois, the pedestrian accident attorneys in Chicago with the Bradley Law Firm can help you seek full compensation for your injuries. For a free consultation with our legal team, please call (312) 252-1488.
