The Prevalence of Distracted Walking While Using Mobile Technology: An Observational Study of High School Students in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye

Abstract

Objective: Distracted walking is defined as any activity that diverts a pedestrian's attention from walking. The increasing addiction to mobile phone use has recently led to a rise in dangerous accidents caused by distracted walking. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and preventable causes of distracted walking among high school students crossing intersections with pedestrian crossings. Material and Methods: High school students (n=3237) between the ages of 14 and 18 from 10 different high schools, including 5 high schools in the Müze crossing area and 5 high schools in the Belediye crossing area, were observed while crossing the pedestrian crossing. Poisson regression was applied to determine the association between distracted walking and various factors, including the city, average household income in the surrounding area, type of pedestrian crossing, and the gender of pedestrians. Results: A total of 3237 students were observed walking near 10 high schools in the city centre of Turkey, of whom 1514 exhibited distracted walking (45.77%). The estimated prevalence of distracted walking was 45.77% (95% CI 45.06-48.49%). Of the students who exhibited distracted walking, 85.5% were engaged in some way with their mobile phones. The highest rate was observed in the group looking down and/or using their phones (62.81%). Conclusion: Our study reveals striking results about the distracted walking behavior of pedestrians in dense urban areas. The high rate of distracted walking among students indicates significant pedestrian-oriented security weaknesses. This study underscores the importance of addressing distracted walking to improve pedestrian safety and prevent potential accidents in urban environments.