New UBC research analyzing actual pedestrian interactions with vehicles on busy streets concludes that distracted pedestrians face higher safety risks compared with undistracted road users.
Previous studies have speculated that distracted pedestrians, such as those texting and talking on the phone, are at higher risk of being hit by a car due to failing to react to oncoming traffic or straying off designated crosswalks.
Indeed, the new study, published recently in Accident Analysis and Prevention, found that distracted pedestrians often remained unaware of their surroundings, making fewer adjustments to their path or speed, which decreased their overall navigational efficiency. This level of distraction can increase the severity of vehicle interaction and near misses by 45 per cent.
"Non-distracted pedestrians made safer choices when interacting with vehicles," said lead researcher Dr. Tarek Sayed, a civil engineering professor and transportation safety expert in the faculty of applied science. "They maintained greater distances from vehicles, yielded more frequently to oncoming traffic and adjusted their speed when necessary."
The researchers also noted differences in driver behaviour. Drivers often decelerated when approaching distracted pedestrians, indicating they recognized the increased risk posed by their unpredictable movements.
The study used a computer vision system developed at UBC and artificial intelligence simulation models to analyze video traffic data from two busy intersections in downtown Vancouver. Analysis focused on distracted pedestrians those texting, reading from a phone, talking on the phone or listening to music undistracted pedestrians, and traffic conflicts, or situations in which road users, such as vehicles and pedestrians, are on a collision course and so, at risk of an accident.
The findings can inform pedestrian safety models and interventions to reduce traffic risks, the researchers added.
"For example, we can accommodate the risk of distracted walking and design safer infrastructure by adjusting crosswalk signal cycles or introducing audio signals to let pedestrians know when it is time to cross. City planners could also display warnings specifically for pedestrians distracted by their phones perhaps even introduce mobile notifications that prevent pedestrians from using their phones while crossing," said study co-author Tala Alsharif (she/her), a graduate student in civil engineering at UBC.
The insights can support infrastructure design by identifying high-risk zones that should be mobile-free and implementing methods such as sensor-based alert systems to minimize distraction. In locations with a high frequency of pedestrian distraction, raised crosswalks could make pedestrians more visible to drivers.
"By incorporating our findings into future research and traffic management approaches, we'll be better able to assess pedestrian risks and develop strategies to improve road safety," said Gabriel Lanzaro (he/him), a UBC civil engineering graduate student and co-author of the study.
