U.S. pedestrian deaths totaled nearly 6,000 in 2017 for the second straight year amid mounting signs that walkers and drivers are dangerously distracted, according to a new study.
Although reasons for the recent rise have not been scientifically determined, experts suspect that smartphones and marijuana use are key factors in the deadly trend.
Increased use of marijuana is another potential factor causing the increase in deaths. In the seven states that legalized the drug for recreational purposes, as well as the District of Columbia, pedestrian deaths spiked 16.4% in the first half of 2017, according to the GHSA study. At the same time, deaths in other states fell 5.8%.
The message seems to be: put down the bong and the phone if you plan to be out and about. Seems like a good idea.
Take out the earbuds as well; around here, a number of folks have been hit by light-rail trains because they had their tunes going and were oblivious to the fact that they were crossing the rail lines. Most have been in their late 20s to early 30s.
Out on the east side, it appears that pot and phones haven't been much of a pedestrian issue - the folks that get run over in that area were mostly in their 60s and 70s - though the drivers that hit them may well have been distracted.
