In this time and day, it’s no longer a surprise to bump into people on the street, or even to see people calmly walking into light poles. Why? Because we’ve become accustomed to having our eyes glued to our smartphones’ screens even when we’re walking.
But Sydney, Australia, wants to help people affected by this problem that turns most smartphone users into digital zombies.
Authorities in New South Wales are preparing a program to deploy ground lights at street level so people who are too busy checking their feed won’t die while crossing the street.
For this pilot program, ground level traffic lights will be installed, with further implementation possible after residents will offer feedback. The first phase of the project will last for six months, during which ground-level embedded street lights will be placed in five locations from Sydney’s business district.
The initiative will reach a cost of approximately AUS $250,000 (US $180,663). According to Bernard Carlon, the Executive Director at Centre for Road Safety, it’s worth it.
“We need to create a road system that keeps [pedestrians] safe, and this includes situations when they may not be paying attention,” he explained. Seeing that pedestrian casualties are on the rise in Australia – that’s what statistics say – the authorities might be onto something here.
Evidently, excessive smartphone use is only partially responsible for the 61 pedestrians who lost their lives in 2015 in a New South Wales road accident. However, the 49 percent surge (compared to 2014’s casualties) calls for any action that promises to improve the situation.
Street level lights should be in the line of view of pedestrians who can get into dangerous traffic situations because they are looking at their mobile screens. The new lights will provide additional warning, complementing traditional signals and lights.
Australia is not the first to implement extra warning signals for pedestrian safety. After a teenage girl died in a railroad accident earlier this year in the German town of Augsburg, authorities started a similar initiative at two stations within the town.
Should the pilot program prove successful in reducing the number of accidents, the local authorities are considering installing more ground level warning lights. Young people in Germany even have a name for the phone users perpetuating the phenomenon: “smombies.
Image Source: Droid App
