In 2017, emergency rooms across the United States saw over 100,000 pedestrians for traffic-related injuries. Out of those, nearly 6,000 died. Given this high number, it is useful to understand the causes in order to prevent further accidents.

While drivers are often responsible for pedestrian injuries, sometimes it has more to do with a person looking down or not paying attention. As it turns out, distracted walking is not uncommon, especially for individuals who own mobile phones or portable music players.

1. Texting

According to a 2018 study published by the National Library of Medicine, texting on cell phones is the top distractor among observed college students. Another study by the University of Calgary found texting to be particularly distracting for high school students as well.

2. Earbuds

While the latter study also identified texting as a top distraction, it particularly noted the distractibility potential of earbuds. For high schoolers, listening to music via portable music players and headphones was the number one distraction that led to pedestrian accidents.

3. Other mobile phone uses

From phone calls to games to social media, mobile phones offer numerous opportunities to pull people’s attention away from the crosswalk in front of them. Without a doubt, most accidents that occur as a result of someone walking without looking have to do with a cellular device.

No one wants to end up in the emergency room because of an accident that occurred when walking near traffic. Public awareness about common distractions like these can help reduce the number of injuries.