Study reveals growing problem of distracted pedestrians on Melbourne streets

This is the distracting smartphone habit that sees thousands of Melbourne pedestrians risk injury and death on our roads every day. And these are the worst offenders.

One in five Melbourne pedestrians is distracted by their smartphones while crossing some of the city’s busiest streets, according to a new study.

Most people risked injury when they had their earphones in or were texting and interacting with their phone, causing them to cross at the wrong time or simply not look out for other pedestrians or vehicles.

Men aged between 31 and 60 were the worst offenders of being immersed in their phones, followed by women aged 18 to 30, the study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre found.

Female pedestrians were more likely to be communicating with their phones. Picture: Sarah Matray

Researcher Kristie Young, one of the report’s three authors, said distracted pedestrians put themselves at greater risk of injury or even death.

“They are less aware of their environment generally, and other pedestrians and other road users such as cyclists and cars.

“And this distraction places them at greater risk.’’

“They really do become immersed in their smartphones even if they have had headphones in.

“Males were more likely to be using headphones while females were more likely to be communicating, either texting or engaged with their phones.’’

Female smartphone users were found to be less likely to look for traffic before they stepped off the kerb.

“Female pedestrians utilising a smartphone device were less likely than male smartphone device users to look or do a head check before crossing (at either signalised or non-signalised crossings),’’ the report said.

Researcher studied pedestrian behaviour at eight Melbourne locations. Picture: Sarah Matray

The study conducted observational research of people crossing the road between 8am and 3pm at five CBD crossings, South Melbourne Market and the university’s campuses in Clayton and Caulfield.

The busiest crossing was on Spencer St outside Southern Cross station.

The use of smartphones by pedestrians was found to be highest at Monash Caulfield because of the high student demographic, while the lowest use was at South Melbourne Market.

The report suggested four measures to counter the problem — regulation, education, technology and infrastructure.

Women were more likely to be communicating while men were likely to be using their headphones. Picture: Sarah Matray

“Examples of technology-based countermeasures may include smartphone-based Apps to prevent phone use near busy roads, or camera-based technologies to warn smartphone users at junctions,’’ the report said.

“Given the probable increases in smartphone functionality and the growth in city centre population density, pedestrian distraction is likely to remain both a safety issue and an area of

significant media focus for the coming years,’’ the report said.

Victoria Walks executive officer Ben Rossiter said texting while crossing the street was a bad idea and all road users needed to be careful when using technology.

Smartphone distraction is common in Melbourne.

Distracted pedestrians put themselves at risk.

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But he said older Australians were more at risk of pedestrian death.

“Elderly walkers generally don’t take risks or use smartphones but they are being killed at a much, much higher rate than younger people,’’ Dr Rossiter said.

“If pedestrian distraction was a such big issues then we would have seen a massive increase in pedestrian fatalities but we haven’t.’’

TAC data shows that 33 pedestrians have been killed on Victorian roads this year, up from 21 this time last year. It is not known if any were related to smartphone use.

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@IanRoyall