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Death by iPod.

FelixAntonius

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Aug 8, 2001
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Pedestrian death rise blamed on iPods.

By Damien Murphy

DEATH by iPod is being blamed as a contributing factor to the 25 per cent rise in the number of pedestrian fatalities in NSW.

The ''iPod zombie trance'' people get into when walking, driving or pedalling around listening to their mobile devices is being blamed for an increase in collisions and even deaths in Europe and the US.

The issue has been highlighted in Sydney by the death of a 46-year-old Glebe woman reportedly wearing headphones when she was knocked down and killed by an ambulance on Saturday night.

There is speculation she might not have heard the ambulance siren when crossing Parramatta Road at Mallett Street at Camperdown.

She was one of at least six pedestrians hit by vehicles on state roads over the weekend, including a 34-year-old man who died after being hit by a bus in Leumeah early yesterday morning. Although the number of people killed on NSW roads so far this calendar year has dropped, pedestrian deaths have climbed by 25 per cent to 53, compared to 44 for the same period last year.

Harold Scruby, of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, said research into deaths resulting from people not paying attention to traffic while using mobile devices was scant in NSW.

'''Death by iPod' is a relatively new phenomenon so it may be slow in showing up because it can sometimes be a year between the fatality and the coroner's finding,'' he said. ''But we should be asking ourselves why are total road deaths declining while pedestrian fatalities continue to escalate? Maybe listening devices could be part of the explanation.''

Distracted pedestrians who cause accidents are liable for a $100 fine and face jail on more serious charges but latest NSW policy figures last year show there were 406 fines issued to pedestrians not paying attention to road safety.

In an endeavour to educate the public, the Pedestrian Council's ''lambs to the slaughter - wait for the green'' campaign featuring a group of pedestrians wearing sheep heads and listening to mobiles and iPods has appeared in newspapers and a billboard.

But Mr Scruby said the rise in the popularity of iPods and other listening devices illustrated an urgent need for action by state government and manufacturers.

''The government is quite happy to legislate that people can lose two demerit points for having music up too loud in their cars, but is apparently unconcerned that listening devices now appear to have become lethal pieces of entertainment,'' he said. ''They should legislate appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare and that of others.

''Manufacturers … should be made to [warn] consumers of the risks they run.''

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mp3s ... 14w4d.html
 
This isn't the first time anyone's noted the issue or called for action ...

Apple iPods: Causing Deaths in New York

Published May 30, 2007 by:
Lindsay Barrs

I've only had the pleasure of traveling to New York a couple times in my life. However, during those brief visits, I quickly became immersed in one of the most highly chaotic environments known to mankind.

I'm a relatively laid back person who usually prefers a calmer, more anxiety-free setting. I'm not a huge fan of getting lost in crowds, nor do I enjoy having a three second window to cross the street. Given this, one can only imagine how I felt navigating my way around Times Square for the first time.

Luckily for me, New York state senator Carl Kruger recently recognized how dangerous these overly-populated streets really are and proposed a new bill in response to the situation. However, rather than addressing the speed at which cabs travel, or the number of sidewalks available to pedestrians, he is linking this safety hazard to the usage of electronics.

Nytimes.com states that Kruger is in the process of "making it a crime to enter and cross a crosswalk while engaging in the use of an electronic device in a city with a population of one million or more." Those who fail to comply will be faced with a court summons and a $100 fine.

I for one am in favor of this proposition because it is justified by actual facts. As a result of being distracted by electronics while crossing the street, three people have been killed since September. It is clear that people's attention and awareness of their surroundings should be heightened, and if passing a new law is the way to achieve this, then so be it.

I am also in favor of the bill because this situation reminds me too much of drivers who insist upon talking on the phone while behind the wheel. One of the most aggravating things in the world is driving behind someone who is too busy talking on a cell phone to realize that their car is drifting in and out of lanes. By being so preoccupied by their ever-so-important phone conversation that can't wait until later, these careless drivers are not only endangering themselves and their passengers, but they are also putting everyone else on the road at risk.

SOURCE: http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _york.html
 
'iPod zombies' blamed for UK road deaths
by Nick Spence, Macworld UK

iPod wearing cyclists lost in music are risking injury and even death according to road safety pressure groups.

Edmund King, the president of the Automobile Association, called for the Department for Transport to launch a campaign warning cyclists of the risk, reports the Daily Mail. “They [iPods] are meant to be mobile, but if you are cycling, you need all your senses about you,” the AA president said.

According to the tabloid, Internet cycling forums on the Internet are being bombarded by motorists complaining about the “breathtaking stupidity” of cyclists who weave through the traffic sporting iPods.

“iPod zombies are a menace,” quotes the Mail citing an apparent angry London driver. “I saw a bus clip one of them the other day in Victoria who was oblivious to anything around him.”

A campaign group Youth for Road Safety, has launched a new campaign, “Tune into Traffic” under the slogan “Your earphones could kill you.”

Manpreet Darroch, campaign director told the Mail: “It’s a serious problem which is only going to get worse as the number of cyclists increases—lots of people are completely oblivious to what’s going on around them.”

“People don’t realise how dangerous listening to music is on the roads—whether pedestrian or cyclist. It takes one of your key senses away. People shouldn’t do it.”
“You can legislate until you are blue in the face. On the issue of iPods we just need to raise awareness.”

The latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that 820 cyclists were killed or seriously injured in the three months to June, a 19 percent rise on the same period in 2008.

SOURCE: http://www.macworld.com/article/144646/ ... afety.html
 
Cyclists do get a raw deal from many drivers, but idiots with Ipods don't help the cause one iota.I can't believe cyclists use them. Rather I can, I cycle about 30 miles a week and see it all the time. Often they're bedecked in head-to-foot Hi-Vis stuff and pricey helmets, in the misguided belief that this will protect them from any possible harm, thereby freeing up the second-most important sense to devote itself entirely to music.

I nearly crashed into one last week - the cycle path on which I commute has a sharp, but wide bend in it with high hedges either side, so most cyclists tend to slow down, follow the outside of the curve and ring the bell on approach. I did all of this, and nearly went headlong into a luminous harpy who had voluntarily deprived herself of hearing, who promptly got outraged that anyone dared be on the path at the same time as her (a bloke behind me nearly crashed into the hedge as well.)

Apparently both he and I should know it's a cycle path. Which of course (according to her) immediately invalidated my argument about what could have happened if I were a bus. Buses don't go on cycle paths. Silly me. Unfortunately, there's no arguing with many of this mentality, and when they do finally get hit by a bus, it'll obviously be the bus driver's fault. Always is.
 
Didn't we have this happening with the 'walkman' though? Or have ipods just totally eclipsed their ancestors for popularity?
 
I must admit I did once do that while wearing my Ipod. I immediately resliased what an idiot I was, apologised to the driver and haven't done it again. :oops:

Is it just me or are the lycra clad serious cyclists the rudest people around. They really do expect me to get myself and my bike out of their way.
 
We have Crimewatch on, and they've just shown a reconstruction of a serious sexual assault on a woman who was walking along wearing earphones.

Not sure if she was listening to an iPod or an iPhone but she won't do that again. :(
 
That's going to have killed a song for her :cry:

A guy i worked with a few years ago got mugged at knifepoint and his face slashed by the muggers, according to him while he had Nick Cave's Murder Ballads in his walkman. He said he just kept thinking how freaky it would be if he was stabbed and died and the police/ambulance/coroner found that.
 
I often used to walk my dogs in t'woods while listening to my ipod. Was told off for it by various friends, stopped it, then started again with the iphone. OK, I'll stop it properly this time. :lol:

Shame really, as I enjoyed having Casting The Runes read to me at dusk on a wintry forest path... :shock:
 
Near to us, a lady walking her dog on a fairly isolated foot path, had her Ipod snatched. I always thought such places were safe, simply because so few people used them, you could die of old age before a likly victim came past.

Having said that, I remember twenty five plus years ago, when I worked in the London Borough of Brent, the police asked a number of convicted muggers how they chose a victim?

What came out at the top, or nearly top choice of victim, was a person who seemed unaware of what was going on around them!!!!

The reason for this choice is pretty obvious & would discribe the average Ipod user plus an Ipod alone, would be a good & saleable prize for a mugger.
 
Surely they would have nearly 30 years worth of accident stats? That's how long I have had a variety of different personal music players...
 
staticgirl said:
Surely they would have nearly 30 years worth of accident stats? That's how long I have had a variety of different personal music players...

You are correct, although my impresion is that there is much more use of Ipods on the street than there were walkmen or CD players. Is it becase the Iplayer is lighter & can contain more tracks? I suppose we can also add mobile phones as a further distraction.
 
And gameboy type things, i saw some guy on the london underground with one plus earphones who just walked around with it :(
 
FelixAntonius said:
..Is it becase the Iplayer is lighter & can contain more tracks? I suppose we can also add mobile phones as a further distraction.
Yeah, also Walkmen (walkmans?) and the like were very prone to jolting and jumping if worn whilst running or cycling, and owing to weight and especially size working loose from pocket or belt and smashing to bits on the floor. Ipods etc tend to stay where they are.
 
Not involving death, though i had an urge to strangle someone, earlier today i thought i must be hallucinating when i saw a lady with what appeared to be a waterproof ipod in the swimming pool, i think the ear piece bits clipped onto her goggles and then went under her rubber cap.

Sadly i wasn't as i just found it on google product search, annoying as hell too, as it didn;t seem to be staying put so she stopped every two lengths to fiddle with it.
 
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