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Report: Injuries to pedestrians wearing headphones soar [Examiner, The (Wash., DC)](Examiner, The (Wash., DC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) As the use of portable music players has surged, the number of injuries to pedestrians wearing headphones has also spiked, a University of Maryland study published Monday shows. The researchers found that the frequency of such injuries, 70 percent of which were fatal, has tripled nationwide since 2004 a period in which ownership of devices like iPods and MP3 players has climbed. These devices are becoming more popular and more people are using them, and certainly there are very solid reasons why they can put you at increased risk of injury, said Dr. Richard Lichenstein, the studys author and a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Although we think were meant to multitask, were really not. Lichenstein blames distraction and sensory deprivation for the accidents, which grew from 16 to 47 annually in the period studied. In most cases when youre listening to the music that you like or listening to a very important or a good story, thats going to take hold, and everything else will sort of be on autopilot, Lichenstein said. Basically, youre plugging up one of your senses that you would use your ears and so you cant really hear all of the noises and sirens and alarms that could prevent injury from occurring. In nearly one-third of the accidents Lichenstein studied, the vehicles involved had sounded their horns. The study also showed that pedestrians in densely populated areas were far likelier to be injured while wearing headphones. Of the cases the researchers reviewed, 89 percent occurred in urban counties. The study could just be scratching the surface, Lichenstein said. It may be more common than we even think, Lichenstein said. We also dont know about all of the near-misses where somebody honked so loud that it actually went through and they could hear it or somebody pushed them aside when a car or train was coming. Lichenstein also acknowledged there may not be a surefire way to reverse the trend. The best we can do is really educate that if youre using these devices that you love these MP3 players and cellphones and iPods at least use them thoughtfully and be aware of the environment that youre using them in, he said. [email protected] (c) 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |