Getting hit by a vehicle while walking is the fifth leading cause of death in the country for children ages 5-19. As time goes on, teenagers are at the greatest risk, with teens having twice the death rate of younger children, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
So why the rise? Stats suggest distracted walking is the cause.
Distracted walking, such as texting and walking, results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving.
Injuries from distracted walking vary from bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, research shows.
An analysis of hospital data conducted at Ohio State University found that injuries involving pedestrians on their cell phones has more than doubled 2005 and 2010, and Safe Kids Worldwide says 1 in 5 kids walks across a street while looking at their phone.
The study was developed to explore findings from a 2012 Safe Kids report that found pedestrian injuries among 16-19 year olds increased 25 percent over the previous five years. Teens now account for half of all pedestrian deaths among children 19 and under.
The risk of pedestrian death if hit by a car increases more than many people realize with just small increases in speed. A pedestrian is nearly twice as likely to be killed if they’re hit by a car going 30 mph compared to if they’re hit at 25 mph, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. At 45 mph, they have an 85% chance of not surviving.
