Distracted Pedestrians / KBS뉴스(News) скачать в хорошем качестве

Distracted Pedestrians / KBS뉴스(News)

[Anchor Lead] Pedestrians staring at their smartphones while walking, even crossing the street, are a hazard to themselves and others. They are said to account for 60 percent of traffic accidents involving pedestrians, most of whom were found to be in their 20s. [Pkg] A man crossing the street with his gaze fixed on his mobile phone is hit by a car because he fails to notice that the traffic light has already changed. Another pedestrian who jaywalks while talking on the phone had no idea that a car was coming at her until the accident occurred. A survey has found that pedestrians who keep using their smartphones on the move account for a large number of traffic accidents. An analysis of traffic accidents reported to one insurance company over the past three years shows that an average of 600 pedestrians are either killed or injured in traffic accidents annually because they fail to pay attention. About 62 percent of the accidents were caused by the use of mobile phones. What's more, eight in ten people in their 20s got into traffic accidents because of using their phones while crossing the street. The percentage in other age groups was 50-60 percent. Despite the high risk of accidents, it's quite easy to spot pedestrians using their phones while crossing the street. An observation of four crosswalks in downtown Seoul has shown that one in five pedestrians kept using their smartphones while crossing the street. Police and local governments are pushing for installing ground-level traffic lights to reduce such traffic accidents, but nothing can be safer for pedestrians than to stop using their phones while crossing the street.