Texting while walking: Distraction or danger?

While texting and driving is a much-publicized danger, texting and walking can also be a problem.

Students bury their faces in their phones, which can cause awkward run-ins and sometimes real danger.

Junior Jessica LoVerde found this to be true. 

"I was on my way to work, and fell down a flight of steps, and sprained my ankle badly," she said.

She couldn't even get herself to the hospital and said someone had to carry her there.

"I was texting and then I looked down and the floor wasn't underneath me anymore," LoVerde said.

Aside from just personal injuries, texting while walking can put others at risk.

"Anything that distracts you from your surroundings limits your level of safety," said Randy Young, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. 

Young said DPS does not ticket individuals who text and walk, but they do have the ability to ticket those who distractedly walk into the street.

"We can cite those who cross against regulations at crosswalks," Young said. "For example, (those who) start crossing outside of crosswalks — but we typically don't do that unless folks are crossing or walking out into the street that endangers themselves or impedes traffic in a way that endangers motorists."

James Gallagher, spokesman for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, said there is not much research available about pedestrian accidents related to texting and walking. 

Gallagher said college campuses are some of the main places where traffic crashes involving pedestrians occur.

"On average, more than 2,400 pedestrians are hit on North Carolina streets each year," he said.

Junior Erin Benfield said she texts while walking on campus. 

Benfield said she understands the dangers of texting and walking, but she said she never texts when she's crossing the street.

Sophomore John DePass has had a few awkward encounters with students who have been texting and walking around campus. 

"I've been walking and others have been texting and they've almost walked into me," he said.

While there is not extensive research on the role of distracted walking in crashes involving pedestrians and the data is primarily anecdotal, Gallagher said students should always be paying attention and stay safe around crosswalks.

"Pedestrians keep their heads up, look around, and check for traffic before crossing the street," he said.

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