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Risks of Accidents Caused by the Use of Smartphone by Pedestrians Are Task- and Environment-Dependent

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  • Sidney Afonso Sobrinho-Junior

    (Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Institute of Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

  • Azriel Cancian Nepomuceno de Almeida

    (Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Institute of Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

  • Amanda Aparecida Paniago Ceabras

    (Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Institute of Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

  • Carolina Leonel da Silva Carvalho

    (Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Institute of Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

  • Tayla Borges Lino

    (Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

  • Gustavo Christofoletti

    (Applied Biomechanics Laboratory, Institute of Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil
    Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Campo Grande 79060-900, Brazil)

Abstract

Using smartphones during a task that requires an upright posture can be detrimental for the overall motor performance. The aim of this study was to determine the risks of accidents caused by the use of smartphones by pedestrians while walking in a controlled (laboratory) and a non-controlled (public street) environment. Two hundred and one participants, 100 men and 101 women, all young adults, were submitted to walking activities while texting messages and talking on the phone. The risk of accident was measured by the time and the number of steps necessary to walk a 20 ft distance. Assessments were performed with no external distractors (laboratory) and on a public street with vehicles, pedestrians, lights, and noises. Multivariate analysis of variance tests provided the main effect of task (using × not using smartphone), environment (laboratory × street), sex (men × women), and interactions. Significance was set at 5%. The results showed that using a smartphone while walking demanded a greater number of steps and time to perform the task (main effect of task: 0.84; p = 0.001). The risk of accident was higher on the streets where, due to traffic hazards, pedestrians performed the task faster and with a lower number of steps (the main effect of environment: 0.82; p = 0.001). There was no difference of risks between men and women (main effect of sex: 0.01; p = 0.225), whether in the laboratory or on the street (main effect of sex × environment: 0.01; p = 0.905). The task × environment interaction showed that using a smartphone on the street potentiates risks of accidents of pedestrians (main effect of task × environment: 0.41; p = 0.001). In conclusion, using a smartphone while walking can be risky for pedestrians, especially in a traffic environment. People should avoid using their smartphone while crossing streets.

Suggested Citation

  • Sidney Afonso Sobrinho-Junior & Azriel Cancian Nepomuceno de Almeida & Amanda Aparecida Paniago Ceabras & Carolina Leonel da Silva Carvalho & Tayla Borges Lino & Gustavo Christofoletti, 2022. "Risks of Accidents Caused by the Use of Smartphone by Pedestrians Are Task- and Environment-Dependent," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-9, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:10320-:d:892330
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tal Krasovsky & Joel Lanir & Yasmin Felberbaum & Rachel Kizony, 2021. "Mobile Phone Use during Gait: The Role of Perceived Prioritization and Executive Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-10, August.
    2. Mingyu Hou & Jianchuan Cheng & Feng Xiao & Chenzhu Wang, 2021. "Distracted Behavior of Pedestrians While Crossing Street: A Case Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Sarah Kent & Ciara Masterson & Raian Ali & Christine E. Parsons & Bridgette M. Bewick, 2021. "Digital Intervention for Problematic Smartphone Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Sung-Hyeon Kim & Jin-Hwa Jung & Ho-jin Shin & Suk-Chan Hahm & Hwi-young Cho, 2020. "The impact of smartphone use on gait in young adults: Cognitive load vs posture of texting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-10, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Julia Sajewicz & Alicja Dziuba-Słonina, 2023. "Texting on a Smartphone While Walking Affects Gait Parameters," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-8, March.
    2. Weichao Hu & Hongzhang Mu & Yanyan Chen & Yixin Liu & Xiaosong Li, 2023. "Modeling Interactions of Autonomous/Manual Vehicles and Pedestrians with a Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Marta Nowak & Kamila Rachubińska & Małgorzata Starczewska & Ewa Kupcewicz & Aleksandra Szylińska & Aneta Cymbaluk-Płoska & Elżbieta Grochans, 2022. "Correlations between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Depressiveness and Daytime Sleepiness, as Well as Perceived Social Support in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-12, October.

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