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Study shows one in five high schoolers are distracted when crossing the street

A 2012 report concluded that half of all pedestrian deaths are teens. A new study showed that one in five high school students cross the street while distracted.
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After a 2012 report concluded that half of all pedestrian deaths are teenagers, a new study showed that one in five high school students and one in eight middle school students cross streets while distracted.

Safe Kids Worldwide conducted a study called Teens and Distraction: An In-Depth Look at Teens’ Walking Behavior.

According to their research, 39-percent of students crossing the street while distracted were typing on a cell phone and another 39-percent were listening to headphones. They found that 20-percent of the distracted walkers were talking on the phone while crossing, and the rest of the distracted students were on another electronic device like a tablet or a game.

“The findings were alarming,” said Keene Hart Safe Kids Quad Cities.

Research included 34,000 students from 68 schools in 17 states and was prompted after a study in 2012 found an increase in teen pedestrian deaths. The 2012 study found that in the last five years, there was a 25-percent increase of pedestrian injuries among 16-19 year olds. According to the 2012 study, teenagers account for half of all pedestrian deaths among people ages 19 and under.

Safe Kids Quad Cities has suggested that parents talk to their children about the importance of paying attention when crossing the street.

“We adults need to follow our own advice,” said a spokesperson from Safe Kids Quad Cities. “If we put our own devices down, our kids are more likely to do the same.”

For more tips for parents, teens, and drivers – click here.

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