Smartphone Usage: Smombies, beware!
Smartphone-obsessed pedestrians staring intently at their phones as they blunder through intersections and across footpaths are a danger both to themselves and other road users.
Ablenkung durch das Smartphone: Der Chat zur falschen Zeit kann Fußgänger gefährden. (Foto: DEKRA)
It’s no longer just in european capitals that road users need to take so-called “smombies” into consideration; these smartphone-obsessed pedestrians can nowadays be found wandering obliviously through virtually every town and city – staring intently at their phones as they blunder through intersections and across footpaths. Be they distracted by instant messaging or phone calls, or even just choosing the next track to listen to, they are a danger both to themselves and other road users.
Source: DEKRA Accident Research
As part of an international study, DEKRA’s Accident Research division recently discovered that the age bracket most affected by this trend is those between 25 and 35. Within the study, observers were also able to discover a difference in usage according to the gender of the smombie: Women were more likely to use their smartphone for instant messaging, whereas men prioritized their music.
Source: DEKRA Accident Research
The danger associated with being distracted by one’s smartphone was underestimated by both sexes. Exemplifying this, 22 percent of all road deaths in the European Union are pedestrians, and every tenth death on German roads is a direct result of the pedestrian’s behavior. Amongst the six European capitals under examination in the study, Stockholm led the pack in terms of smartphone usage on the move, with 23.6% across all age groups. In Amsterdam, that number was a little over eight percent.
Automated, but Safe!
At the Lausitzring in Klettwitz, Germany, DEKRA puts assistance systems and automated vehicle technologies through their paces, most recently also in urban environments on specially established city courses. These tests are of central importance – because acceptance by society depends on the safety and reliability of the systems.
Networking on the Road
In personal transportation, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication is seen as the technology of the future for smoother traffic and reduced CO2 emissions. At the same time, connected driving will likely raise the capabilities of automated vehicles to a higher level in terms of safety, efficiency, and autonomy.
