Should cities embed traffic lights in sidewalks to keep texting pedestrians safe?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Heads up!

Dodging texting pedestrians is an annoyance for you and downright dangerous for the person whose face is buried in their phone, but lawmakers in the German city of Augsburg have come up with a rather extreme solution.

They’ve decided to help keep inattentive texters safe by installing traffic signals right in their line of sight — embedded in the sidewalk.

While people strolling the streets of Vancouver admit that walking and texting can be a problem, very few like the idea of ground-level traffic lights.

“I don’t think it’s needed,” says Roy. “People should pay attention to their surroundings and where they are going — not just walk across the street, unattentive.”

“It would be a waste of money,” adds Jay. “We already have flashing pedestrian lights and we have crosswalks that beep and chirp. I mean, people have to be aware of what’s going on. I think it’s natural selection.”

The sidewalk-level traffic lights in Augsburg have been placed near a couple of train stops. They flash red when a tram is approaching.

And, of course, leave it to the Germans to come up with a specific word for texting walkers. “Smombies” is the shortened term for smartphone zombies.

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