(CHARLOTTE, NC) – March 12, 2012 – You've probably heard a lot of buzz in the news lately about distracted driving and smartphone use; however another serious issue on the rise is distracted walking or jogging. It's a common occurrence to see power walkers or joggers in the city with their headphones in while jogging – sometimes seemingly oblivious to the traffic patterns. This type of activity, while common, is a dangerous one and should be avoided.
The original study was conducted under Dr. Richard Lichenstein and was published in Injury Prevention. It is entitled, Headphone use and pedestrian injury and death in the United States: 2004-2011. According to the results:
There were 116 reports of death or injury of pedestrians wearing headphones. The majority of victims were male (68%) and under the age of 30 (67%). The majority of vehicles involved in the crashes were trains (55%), and 89% of cases occurred in urban counties.
The number of fatalities from 2004-2005 almost tripled in 2010-2011. Seventy four percent of case reports stated that the victim was wearing headphones at the time of the crash. Many cases (29%) mentioned that a warning was sounded before the crash.
If you're a power walker, jogger or plan to spend time outdoors this Spring getting exercise, take extra care to be attentive to the roads. Share this with your teens and younger children too.
Founded in 1989, CR Legal Team , LLP, represents individuals with personal injury, workers' compensation and Social Security disability claims. The firm operates from 12 offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. To learn more about the firm, or its community relations activities, visit www.crumleyroberts.com or stay connected on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
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