March 5, 2008
6 million people hurt in the UK last year while texting and talking
Six million people were hurt crashing into lampposts and bins last year while texting and talking on their mobiles, a study found, reports the Mirror and according to ITN, padded lampposts are being trialled in a London street to protect inattentive pedestrians.
"A pilot scheme has been launched in Brick Lane after it was found to have the highest number of 'walking and texting' injuries in the country.
Injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to broken noses, cheekbones and even a fractured skull.
The research discovered 63 per cent of people concentrate so hard while texting they are unaware of their surroundings.
One in four would support "mobile lanes" on pavements to highlight the increasing number of hazards, and nearly a half back the use of protective pads around them.
William Ostrom of phone directory service 118118 which did the survey of 1,055 adults, said: "Britons are clearly text addicts so we need to make sure they are protected on the streets."
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