Hello Pedestrians, Don't talk when you walk!

Hello Pedestrians, Don't talk when you walk! 

Cell phone use reduces pedestrian safety. It shuts the world around, makes you blind to danger. You will experience Inattention Blindness (you may be looking at an object but you'll fail to register it or process what it is). 

Infact, cell phone conversation demands not just auditory resources in the brain but also visual functions.

Why is it risky?

The human brain cannot multitask. Walking and talking on a cell phone are two thinking tasks that involve many areas of the brain. Instead of processing both simultaneously, the brain rapidly switches between two cognitive activities.

Take the classic example of the act of walking and chewing gum. We can safely walk while chewing gum in a city crowded with motor vehicles and other hazards. That is because one of those tasks – chewing gum – is not a cognitively demanding task.

Whereas, having a conversation and walking in a street are both thinking tasks. Research shows pedestrians don’t effectively monitor their environment for safety while talking on cell phones. The challenge is managing two tasks demanding our cognitive attention. 

I'm quoting the abstract findings of few researches to supplement my answer,

1. Mobile telephones, distracted attention, and pedestrian safety - Study

Mobile phone users crossed unsafely into oncoming traffic significantly more than did either of the other groups. For pedestrians as with drivers, cognitive distraction from mobile phone use reduces situation awareness, increases unsafe behavior, putting pedestrians at greater risk for accidents, and crime victimization.

2. The effects of mobile phone use on pedestrian crossing behaviour at signalised and unsignalised intersections - Study

Research amongst drivers suggests that pedestrians using mobile telephones may behave riskily while crossing the road, and casual observation suggests concerning levels of pedestrian mobile-use. 

...Talking on a mobile phone is associated with cognitive distraction that may undermine pedestrian safety. Messages explicitly suggesting techniques for avoiding mobile-use while road crossing may benefit pedestrian safety.

3. Pedestrians, vehicles and cell phones - Study

Pedestrians were less likely to successfully cross the road when conversing on a cell phone than when listening to music, even though they took more time to initiate their crossing when conversing on a cell phone (∼1.5 s). This success rate difference was driven largely by failures to cross the road in the allotted trial time period (30 s), suggesting that when conversing on a cell phone pedestrians are less likely to recognize and act on crossing opportunities.

Also, texting while walking is another risky task which affects pedestrian safety.

Don't be distracted. Don't use cell phones when you walk!