German City Designs Traffic Lights for Oblivious PedestriansBlinking LED lights are now being placed in the ground at busy intersections for people who look down at their devices while walking.
This story originally appeared onEngadget
The German city of Augsburg has taken a novel approach to dealing with pedestrians too buried in their smartphone screens to notice traffic signals. By embedding flashing red LEDs in the sidewalks at busy pedestrian crossings, the city hasmoved those signalsright into their line of sight.
While some Augsburgers saw the new lights as a waste of taxpayer dollars, city officials decided to install the lights after a 15-year-old girl was struck and killed by a commuter train. The local newspaperreportedthe girl was listening to headphones and looking at her smartphone when she walked onto the train tracks.
Helping pedestrians multi-task safely as they absentmindedly navigate the city isn't entirely new. in 2014, the China's Chongqing City experimented with a 165-foot longdedicated walking lanefor smartphone users. In Taiwan, officials also considereddistracted walking ticketsfor people tapping away at their phones in the country's chaotic roadways.
Stateside, the problem might be even worse. The US Department of Transportation hasidentified a connectionbetween rising pedestrian deaths and increased smartphone use, while a University of Washington studyconcludedthat one in three Americans is busy texting, emailing, checking Facebook or otherwise lost in their phone around dangerous intersections.
