Science Daily reports: "Texting while walking and being cognitively distracted may significantly affect the way a person walks, resulting in a more cautious gait, according to a study published July 29, 2015, in the open-access Journal PLOS ONE led by Dr. Conrad Earnest of Texas A&M University and colleagues from the University of Bath, UK."
Uh, yep. You could have sent that research money to me or anybody else who has ever walked down a busy street. My problem is that people who walk and text don't make their gait cautious enough. I regularly have to dodge them, although it's tempting to stick out an elbow and wait.
That journal seems to be determined to report walking and texting around the world. Last year they reported: "Texting on your phone while walking alters posture and balance according to a study in PLOS ONE on January 22, 2014 by Siobhan Schabrun and colleagues from the University of Queensland."
Last but not least, a study at the University of Buffalo reports, "Texting and walking is a known danger, but an emergency doctor says distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving. Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter, and stepping into traffic. The issue is so common that in London bumpers were placed onto light posts along a frequented avenue to prevent people slamming into them."
There's the answer for us non-texting pedestrians: wear bumpers!
