Mosman Council, Roads and Maritime Services urge pedestrians to keep eyes on traffic, not mobiles

PEDESTRIAN Council of Australia chairman Harold Scruby has called for major electronics manufacturers to warn consumers of the potentially lethal consequences of “hypnotic” mobile devices.

A cyclist rides along King Street Newcastle with no helmet while staring at his mobile phone. Picture: Peter Lorimer.

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DISTRACTED pedestrians and inattentive motorists are a potentially fatal ­combination, a Mosman road safety campaigner has warned.

Mosman Council is part of a northern councils initiative with Roads and Maritime Services to improve pedestrian safety with the “Distracted ...?” campaign.

Two pedestrians died on roads in northern municipalities in 2014.

Most pedestrian crashes in Mosman occur along Military Road between Cowles Rd and Mosman Junction.

There was a cluster of pedestrian crashes at Spit Junction between 2010 and 2014.

Non-intersection locations are the most unsafe for pedestrians, with 57 per cent of all pedestrian crashes ­occurring at these sites.

Pedestrian Council of Australia chairman Harold Scruby said distraction was everywhere, from flashing signs to “hypnotic, mesmerising” mobile devices.

He said the manufacturers of such electronic devices had ignored their responsibility in this area and their products should carry a cigarette pack-like warning: “Don’t use these devices while crossing the road they will kill.”

Mr Scruby said pedestrians and motorists who used noise-cancelling earphones were “distraction squared”.

“We need to attack distraction for every road user group; even cyclists using mobile phones,” he said.

A council spokeswoman said council urged pedestrians to keep their heads up and their phones down when using the roads and encouraged drivers to give way to pedestrians crossing roads.

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