There’s been a lot of media coverage on the dangers associated with texting and driving . Studies have shown texting behind the wheel is 23 times more dangerous than driving without the distraction . However, you don’t need a car to suffer a serious injury from texting. In fact, people who text while walking are at risk from getting hurt from a slip, trip, or fall.
Take a stroll around a college campus, or any shopping center, and you’re likely to see someone walking around staring directly down at their cell phone typing a text message. What these texters fail to fully realize is that they could be walking straight towards an ice patch (especially after the massive snow storms we’ve been enduring in Virginia, DC, Maryland, etc.), a pole, a small hole, or some other object.
A serious slip or trip can lead to a serious fall which can lead to a broken leg, fractured wrist, torn ACL, or a traumatic head injury.
Am I saying you should stop texting all together? Of course not; but you need to be cognizant of your surroundings, even as you text. Take a moment to look up and make sure there’s no caution sign indicating a slippery surface ahead. If you slip or fall on a wet surface, like a cleaning fluid or debris in a grocery store or shopping mall, or due to a hole or other unusual articifically created condition, you may have grounds for a slip, trip or fall injury claim. Most businesses are required to alert their customers if there’s a known slippery artificial surface or condition on their property-and to correct it and warn of it
Also be aware if there’s another texter approaching you. The risk of colliding with an individual can also produce a serious injury similar to slipping or tripping like a concussion or lower back injury.
Another recommendation would be to avoid texting while walking up or down a flight of stairs. Again, since your attention is focused on typing the text, you may unintentionally slip and fall on one of the steps.
Again, I’m not saying never text, but be aware of your surroundings. The thing that is important to remember about trip, slip and any fall type injury is no one intends to have it happen-the mechanism of how we slip or trip is that in a split second its over-you are down and sometimes seriously injured.
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