Transactions on Transport Sciences 2021, 12(3):78-84 | DOI: 10.5507/tots.2021.015

Young Pedestrians' Mobile Phone Use While Crossing the Road

Juliane Starka, Katja Ruzsicskab, Thomas Wiesmannb
a. Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter Jordan St. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
b. formerly Institute for Transport Studies, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Peter Jordan St. 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria

In Austria, distraction and carelessness are the number one cause of accidents. This affects all types of travel modes. The use of smartphones makes a significant contribution to distraction in road traffic. While the issue of car drivers and adult pedestrians has already been investigated in numerous publications, the extent of the problem and its impact on children and adolescents walking on foot is hardly known. Within the framework of an explorative study, almost 2,800 crossing events of school children in front of an educational center in the city of Vienna (Austria) were observed and analyzed. The results show that 44% of the pupils observed were engaged in some kind of use or were visibly holding a mobile phone in their hands when crossing the street at the unsignalized intersection. The results underline the need for training to educate children and adolescents about safe behavior in road traffic.

Keywords: children; pedestrians; mobile phones; crossing

Received: February 12, 2021; Revised: June 7, 2021; Accepted: June 24, 2021; Prepublished online: June 24, 2021; Published: March 9, 2022  Show citation

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Stark, J., Ruzsicska, K., & Wiesmann, T. (2021). Young Pedestrians' Mobile Phone Use While Crossing the Road. Transactions on Transport Sciences, 12(3), 78-84. doi: 10.5507/tots.2021.015
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