"I've seen people texting while horseback riding," she said. "When I see this kind of activity, it doesn't bear well for the future."
About half of the observations for the study were made in the morning rush hour between 8 and 9 a.m., and just over half of the pedestrians observed were between 25 and 44. Researcherschose the 20 intersections with the highest number of pedestrian injuries during the past three years.
Because the researchers recorded demographic and specific information about the "distracting activity" of the pedestrians, they were able to look at separate mobile-device behavior.
For example: Those listening to music actually speeded up while crossing the road, although they were less likely to look both ways before doing so.
