Pedestrian and driver safety problems caused by the use of a mobile phone - pilot studies

Abstract

The use of hand-held mobile phones by drivers and pedestrians is common and is becoming more common every year. Mobile phones have become an integral part of our everyday life, accompanying us in almost every respect. Modern smartphones perform functions that go far beyond their original purpose as devices for making telephone calls. We use them for GPS navigation and electronic banking. Moreover, using mobile applications, we can make purchases and sales of products quickly and safely. The number of people owning mobile phones is growing all over the world, and access to the Internet, which is an integral part of the functioning of modern smartphones, is becoming more and more common. Basic functions of mobile phones, such as making and receiving calls or sending short SMS messages, have long ceased to be sufficient. Thanks to them, we can conduct videoconferences, use advanced applications for time management or health monitoring, and even perform complex professional tasks in mobile mode. Thus, the growing popularity and versatility of mobile phones make them an indispensable tool in our everyday lives, not only as a means of communication, but also as an irreplaceable source of information, a work tool and a facilitation in everyday activities. The aim of the article is to find out respondents' predispositions to use telephones made of corrugated cardboard during activities such as walking on the street, side of the road, sidewalk, while crossing a pedestrian crossing and while driving. The lack of statistics on road accidents caused by the use of a telephone makes it difficult to determine how big a problem it is to use a telephone in situations where we should maintain limited trust in other road users. The research shows that respondents use a mobile phone while crossing a pedestrian crossing or driving a vehicle. In addition, as many as 19% of respondents admit that they have crossed a pedestrian crossing at least once. The conducted surveys and observational studies constitute an introduction to the development of a system for detecting pedestrians and drivers using mobile phones.

Keywords

• drivers
• pedestrians
• mobile phones
• security systems