Walking Distracted Leads To A Fatality

Distracted while walking using an electronic device has resulted in the death of a man in San Diego. According to local authorities, a man walking near the Sunset Cliffs fell to his death while he was distracted by his electronic device. According to witnesses, the person appeared to have been distracted by an electronic device and fellow over the edge of the cliff.

According to a San Diego lifeguard, the person was not paying attention to where he was walking and appeared to be looking down at the device he was carrying. Although the electronic device has not been recovered, it has been suggested that the item may have been a phone or camera.  Unfortunately, the young man, in his thirties, did not survive the fall.

The National Safety Council, suggests distracted walking injuries involving cell phones accounted for an estimated 11,101 injuries between 200 and 2011, making it a significant safety threat. The trend is so alarming that it has made the National Safety Council’s statistical report Injury Facts®, which tracks data around the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths.

Distractions Fatal for Drivers and Pedestrians

Whether we are in a vehicle or on foot, we need to be aware of our surroundings. No text, call or social media update is worth an injury or in the case of the young man in San Diego, a fatality. It is just as important to walk without interacting with technology than it is to drive without cell phone interaction. Pedestrians and motorists are mentally distracted by technology and for pedestrians, this can result in crossing roads unsafely, walk into objects such as poles and street signs and can cause them to trip. For motorists, distracted driving can also lead to fatalities and injuries to other motorists and pedestrians.To read more about the National Safety Council report “Distracted Walking Injuries On The Rise” visit,
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/distracted-walking-injuries-on-the-rise-52-percent-occur-at-home-300100870.html