I came across this article this morning in the U.K.'s Daily Star. According to the article, a whopping 6 million Brits were injured while walking and texting. No joke:
AN AMAZING six million Brits were injured last year while texting and using their mobiles. More than one in 10 people were hurt after stumbling into lampposts, bollards and litter bins in the street. They suffered “walk and text” wounds, ranging from bruises to broken noses and fractured skulls.
Best part of the article is the news that people would be in favor of "mobile lanes" or putting protective pads on lamp posts! In fact, it was reported that Brick Lane (a district of London) is experimenting with padded lampposts because of the growing issue. Are they sure this isn't to protect drunk pub-goers?
I'm hesitant about the reported 6 million affected (this one in the Evening Standard is much more believable), but I am not surprised that people report actual injuries as a result of concentrating on finding those buttons on the cell keypad and ignoring their surroundings.
I would probably keep an injury secret, but I will be the first to admit that I walk and text (and even e-mail) in New York City all the time. I've never walked into a stationary object, but I walk into people all the time. I usually get the "watch where you are going!"
Let us know if it's happened to you in our comments section.
