Medical and Hospital News  
TECH SPACE
Portable devices linked to US pedestrian death spike

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Jan 20, 2011
After four years of steady declines, the number of US pedestrians killed by cars rose in the first half of 2010, a study said Thursday, suggesting portable technology could be to blame.

The Governors Highway Safety Association said the 0.4 percent increase in pedestrian fatalities in the first six months of 2010 was "notable" because it followed four years where deaths had fallen by 200 on average each year.

"We are speculating at this point, but one of the reasons may be that pedestrians are using their phones, their iPods while they are walking and jogging," GHSA spokesman Jonathan Adkins told AFP.

The reversal in pedestrian safety could be the result of the recent profusion of iPods, MP3 players and other portable technology, said GHSA chairman Vernon Betkey.

"Anyone who travels in a busy city has seen countless pedestrians engrossed in conversation or listening to music while crossing a busy street," he said.

"Just as drivers need to focus on driving safely, pedestrians need to focus on walking safely -- without distractions."

The number of pedestrian fatalities dropped from almost 5,000 in 2005 to less than 4,100 in 2009, official figures showed.



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


TECH SPACE
NEC, Lenovo in talks on joint venture: report
Tokyo (AFP) Jan 21, 2011
Leading Japanese and Chinese electronics firms NEC Corp. and Lenovo Group are in the final stages of talks to form a joint venture in the personal computer business, a report said Friday. A likely scenario would see Lenovo taking a majority stake in NEC Personal Products Ltd., a wholly owned NEC unit that makes and sells PCs, the Nikkei business daily said. NEC released a statement on Fr ... read more







TECH SPACE
German NGO denies corruption allegations

Sri Lanka mine fears as floods recede

Struggling Haiti faces crucial week in politics

Study Explores How People Respond To Climate Disasters

TECH SPACE
Europe defends 'stupid' Galileo satellite

Galileo satnav system called 'stupid idea': US cable

China schools issue GPS phones to boost safety

Another GPS Software Upgrade Completed

TECH SPACE
Big City Life May Alter Green Attitudes

Study: Neanderthals' looks not from cold

Climate tied to rise, fall of cultures

Impact Of Traffic Noise On Sleep Patterns

TECH SPACE
Are Sharks Color Blind

Two New Species Of Leaping Beetles Discovered In New Caledonia

US plucks tiny daisy from brink of extinction

Mass Extinctions Linked To Loss Of Diversity

TECH SPACE
World Bank aims grant at Haiti's cholera epidemic

Serbia reports first swine flu death in 2011

UN health chief raises concern about vaccine 'mistrust'

Alcohol blamed for bird deaths in Romania

TECH SPACE
China's massive annual holiday migration begins

Hu faces rough welcome in US Congress

US author stirs 'Chinese' values debate

White House defends Hu state visit invite

TECH SPACE
Pirates hoist ransoms for hijacked ships

S. Korea warship pursues hijacked vessel

Smarter Somali pirates thwarting navies, NATO admits

Denmark can try suspected pirates: court

TECH SPACE
Oil, gold prices drop amid China rate-hike fears

Jobs rise but poverty a constant threat

China economy grows 10.3%, inflation fears mount

China logs double-digit growth in 2010: report


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement