Apparently people looking at their phones crossing streets with green lights and the right of way walk a little more slowly. Is this a problem?
Here is a new study that will no doubt be quoted a lot: Assessing the Effect of Pedestrians’ Use of Cell Phones on Their Walking Behavior: A Study Based on Automated Video Analysis. It uses "gait analysis," or video analysis of how people walk across the street, and concludes:
Results show that pedestrians distracted by texting/reading (visually) or talking/listening (auditory) while walking tend to reduce and control their walking speed by adjusting their step length or step frequency, respectively. Pedestrians distracted by texting/reading (visually) have significantly lower step length and are less stable in walking. Distracted pedestrians involved in interactions with approaching vehicles tend to reduce and control their walking speeds by adjusting their step frequencies.
© Rushdi Alsaleh, Tarek Sayed, and Mohamed H. Zaki of the University of British Columbia
