• 31
  • January
    2012

To prevent injuries while crossing the street or railroad tracks, we are taught as youngster to stop and look both ways before crossing the road or tracks. What is often overlooked is the notion of listening for potential dangers, including warning sirens and whistles. And, it is this not listening that has led to a rise in injuries for pedestrians who wear headphones.

In January 2012, a new study published in the journal Injury Prevention reported that accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones have tripled in less than a decade. Looking at numerous sources, researchers found that there were 116 fatal or serious-injury accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones (accidents involving cell phones were excluded) in the United States from 2004 to 2011.

Researchers indicate that hearing potential dangers could be more important than seeing those potential dangers. They found two factors that may contribute to "headphone use and pedestrian injury": sensory deprivation and distraction (also called "inattentional blindness").

The Sacramento Bee published highlights of the findings of the study, including:

•· An increase to 47 accidents in 2010 and 2011 from only 16 accidents in 2004 and 2005

•· 70 percent of accidents were fatal

•· 55 percent of accidents involved trains

•· The average age of victims was 21-years-old

•· 68 percent of the victims were male

•· 67 percent of the victims were under the age of 30

•· In 74 percent of accidents, eyewitnesses stated pedestrians were wearing headphones when involved in the accident

•· In 29 percent of accidents, eyewitnesses reported hearing sirens or horns prior to the accident

According to the researchers, the study does not, however, indicate a correlation between headphone use and the risk of pedestrians suffering accidents.

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/16/4192228/study-suggests-hazards-of-wearing.html