The use of phones, tablets and other devices when people are walking in public is causingconcern among many commentators. What dangers may arise when people focus on such deviceswhen walking in the street? How could these problems be reduced?

As hand-held devices become almost universal in our society, the number of accidents related to their use is increasing accordingly, in addition to various social dangers. I will outline two such risks, and also two possible counter-measures we could take. Firstly, the greatest danger is surely the possibility of people failing to pay attention to their surroundings when they use such items while walking along pavements, public areas and streets. By diverting all their attention (both visual and in most cases mental) onto their device, the users may bump into other people, fall over uneven surfaces or even step into traffic lanes, with potentially fatal results. A few deaths among teenagers in the UK, for example, is attributable to this cause each year. A second problem must be the rather anti-social nature of people focussing all their thoughts on a device, to the exclusion of others around them, who may need help or guidance as much as basic courtesy. The increasingly impolite atmosphere in many public spaces may well be connected to this phenomenon. Turning to possible solutions, it would be helpful to see a joint initiative between the authorities and mobile phone producers to raise public awareness of these risks. Such a programme could take many forms, ranging from advertising to dedicated classes in schools and colleges, and could be aimed at both the problem of accidents and the unsociable nature of excessive device usage, which would make it very cost-effective. A further solution may be to install warning mechanisms on these devices, which detect when traffic or obstacles are nearby so that the user does not walk blindly into danger. Such systems already exist in cars to alert drivers to impending trouble or the need to change direction. Overall, the dangers in this situation are both physical and social. Potential remedies may involve better education and enhanced danger detection along the lines already used successfully in motor vehicles.