The danger of talking while walking

The danger of talking while walking

Using a cellphone while driving is known to be risky behavior. So perhaps it's not surprising to discover that talking on a cellphone while walking carries its own risks.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign observed 36 college-age subjects who were outfitted with a cellphone, an iPod or nothing as they walked on a treadmill in a virtual environment meant to simulate a busy two-lane street. Their study, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention, found not only that cellphone talkers were much more distracted, crossed the street more slowly and didn't look around as much, but also that walkers using iPods showed no more distraction than walkers who used no device and just, well, walked.

"Although it is unclear at this point whether this [cellphone-related] impairment can manifest in increased pedestrian-automobile accidents," the researchers wrote, "our data do suggest that there is at least a strong possibility that decision-making processes, such as those associated with identifying and acting on safe cross opportunities, are impaired."

Mark Neider, lead author of the study, suggests "that people should at least consider the possibility that conversing on a cellphone could impair their ability to safely cross a street, and perhaps modify their behavior accordingly. They might ask their partner to hold on for a moment until they have safely crossed the street."

The researchers measured levels of distraction by how long it took each person to cross and to what extent the walkers turned their heads, presumably to judge the best time to cross. In general, those talking on cellphones took 25 percent longer and were also more likely to fail to cross the street within the 30 seconds set for the task.

Neider said it was likely that talking on a phone was more distracting than listening to music because it requires more active involvement. "On a cellphone a person must listen to what their partner says, understand it, and then formulate and produce an appropriate response. Listening to music is a much more passive task."

-- Margaret Shapiro