Warnings to texting pedestrians may not eliminate risks, but they can help

Human factors researchers at the University of Iowa have been looking at ways to harness technology to prevent fatalities among pedestrians who are struck by vehicles while texting. In their latest study in Human Factors, “Harnessing Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) Communication Technology: Sending Traffic Warnings to Texting Pedestrians,” Pooya Rahimian and colleagues simulated a busy roadway to determine whether sending loud warning sounds to cell phones when texting pedestrians attempted to cross an unsafe gap would result in safer crossing behavior.