PETALING JAYA: Just a few seconds of distraction can make you end up with a bump on your head or a fall when you are walking with your eyes glued to your smartphone. But such a distraction can also have a much more devastating outcome.
The increasingly common habit of pedestrians using mobile phones while walking along and crossing streets has prompted calls by police and road safety experts for greater awareness and tougher enforcement to deter such behaviour.
Their concerns arose following the emergence of a dashcam video which showed a female pedestrian crossing a busy road in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, while talking on her mobile phone without looking at the oncoming traffic.
She was then hit by a motorcyclist during the incident on March 24.
Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Asst Comm Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa (pic) described “distracted walking” as a serious behavioural risk.
It is the same situation as a person driving a car and looking at the mobile phone, he said.
With their focus on phone screens or talking on their phones, people’s ability to spot, recognise and react to hazards such as approaching vehicles is delayed.
“This may lead to the likelihood of them crossing the road without looking at the traffic.
“The safest move they can do is to stop or sit in a safe place to take the phone call and only continue walking after they are done with their conversation,” he said in an interview.
ACP Mohd Zamzuri also said that a person distracted by his handphone while walking can also be vulnerable to snatch thieves.
He said it was fortunate that both the pedestrian and motorcyclist in the Bangsar incident escaped with minor injuries.
However, he said the pedestrian will be summoned for investigations for jaywalking under Rule 45 LN 166/59 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959.
He added that such offences can also be investigated for endangering a person’s life or their personal safety by a rash or negligent act under Section 337 of the Penal Code, an offence punishable with imprisonment up to six months or a fine of RM1,000, or both.
Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said using mobile phones while walking can be extremely dangerous as it may distract the user’s attention from uneven pavements, slippery surfaces, damaged manhole covers and even illegally parked vehicles.
The person may even become a victim of snatch thieves, he said.
“Traffic regulations should be amended to make it an offence to use mobile phones while walking, as it can cost life and limb to both pedestrian and other road users.
“As for the Bangsar incident, the pedestrian was not only using a phone while crossing the road but was also not using a designated crossing lane.
“Motorcyclists often weave through traffic at high speed and the risk of sudden collisions are high at blind spots. Pedestrians must always be aware of these blind spots,” he said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Road Safety Research Centre head Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said that pedestrian distraction by mobile phones has become increasingly common in urban areas.
He said it reflects how digital devices now influence human behaviour even in situations that require heightened awareness such as crossing roads.
From a behavioural standpoint, awareness campaigns are important in shaping public habits.
