BTS: Doctors concerned about texting teens

Remember that silly padded lamppost campaign in London? You know, it might not be such a bad idea after all. If you remember, 118 118 conducted a survey that found one street in London had the highest number of texting-related injuries, which inspired them to run a campaign to protect texting pedestrians. I was the first one to sneer at the whole thing, but texters in America are just as bad.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the American College of Emergency Physicians had to issue an alert this week to warn people about the dangers of texting while multitasking.

Turns out, the most at risk texters seem to be teens and young adults who are arriving in emergency rooms with serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they weren't paying attention while texting, says Dr. Linda Lawrence, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Some of the worst texting-related accidents happened while people were walking, biking, riding horses, rollerblading, cooking, and driving. Most of the injuries are nothing but cuts and sprains, but there are those who have lost their life because they didn't look both ways when stepping onto a street.

One of the most disturbing stories disclosed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission was of a 15-year-old girl who suffered head and back injuries after falling of her horse while texting, and another teen burned herself while cooking noodles and texting her boyfriend. Unbelievable!

It's easy to ignore our surroundings when texting or listening to our iPod, so the ACEP put together a list things to be mindful of when texting in the danger zone.

* Don’t text or use a cell phone while engaged in any physical activities that require sustained attention; such activities include walking, biking, boating, rollerblading or even intermittent-contact sports such as baseball, football or soccer.

* Never text or use a hand-held cell phone while driving or motorcycling, and use caution even with headsets.

* Avoid becoming distracted by rummaging through purses, backpacks or clothing by keeping cell phones and blackberries in easy-to-find locations, such as phone pockets or pouches.

* Ignore the call or message if it might interfere with concentration during critical activities that require attention. Better yet, turn off the device beforehand during times when incoming calls or messages might prove to be a dangerous or even simply embarrassing or annoying interference.

* Be mindful of the distraction and corresponding reflex-response delay that texting can cause, and don’t text in any environments in which excessive inattention can cause safety concerns, such as while sitting alone at night, waiting for a bus, or in a crowded area, where one could easily become a victim of a personal theft.

If you're heading back-to-school and know a texting-crazed teen, please do them a favor and forward this list. Bottom line: Don't text and multitask unless you're in a safe place away from cars.

Links:

Text Messaging: Emergency Physicians Express Safety Concerns As Kids Go Back To School
ER docs: Don't text and walk, skate — or cook