In this digital era, 80 per cent of people engage themselves in using their smartphones, tablets etc. Smartphones and tablets have now become a new mode of entertainment and communication while one is on the move.
Free online messaging apps like WhatsApp, Line, WeChat, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangout, etc make sure that people keep communicating (texting) 24x7. While digitalisation helps you keep in touch with friends, relatives etc, it can also result in accidents if you keep texting while walking. Around 1,152 people met with accidents in 2011, due to distractions caused by texting.
To avoid such mishaps, China has divided the main road for pedestrains into two parts- A lane for the pedestrians who love texting and the other side is for the one’s who are comfortable following the traffic rules.
In Chongqing, China, there are cell phone walking lanes. #wow pic.twitter.com/PLNKWAJq9v
— Dan Pontefract (@dpontefract) September 14, 2014Rianovosti reported that the 100-foot stretch in the Chongqing city of China includes warnings for the ‘texters’ in Chinese and English. Reports state that this is the first mobile phone sidewalk created by China, which also has a diagram illustrating how to use the street.
Reports also state that the idea of creating this lane was bought up by the locals of China. Confused drivers are irritated on how pedestrians have been irresponsible by just fixing their eyes on their smartphone, while walking and crossing streets.
These videos give an explaination as to why one should avoid texting while walking:
(Video credit: AP)
(Video credit: Today News)
