Despite being penalized by the road safety law, many users manipulate their smartphones while driving, beyond consulting maps or speed cameras. And it is that sending messages of WhatsApp is very dangerous while driving, but a common practice for many. However, in Murcia they are also aware of the danger run by pedestrians themselves when consulting their messages during the march and, above all, when crossing the road. That is why they have implemented a good collection of signs and markings on the asph alt so that pedestrians can disconnect from their mobile phones when it comes to go through the zebra crossing.
The measure was implemented in mid-March, as echoed by the website Verne Thus, the Murcia Town Hall has planted no less than 200 vertical signs that warn pedestrians of the danger of walking distracted by answering calls or messages In addition, other 80 signs painted on the asph alt with the WhatsApp logo try to alert and encourage users to answer messages later, focusing attention on the road to avoid accidents and run overs
And it is that, according to the General Directorate of Traffic, walking distracted by listening to music through headphones or looking at the screen mobile phone, increases the chances of this type of accident by 40 percentSomething in which WhatsApp and social networks can have a lot to do.
However, despite the shocking nature of the measure, this is not the first time that this kind of road safety policies have been carried out Within the Murcian community, in the municipality of San Javier, they already surprised fellow citizens with other vertical signs that tried to draw attention to the dangerous practice of answering WhatsApp messages while crossing the road. And it is that, according to the data of this town hall, 7 percent of accidents of this type were related to the use of applications and practices that implied the loss attention of pedestrians on the road.
These measures have also been circulating for some time in other cities around the worldAnd it is that, since technology can accompany each user in an individualized and personal way, it is possible to see more inattention between traffic. Whether listening to music, talking on the phone or chatting through WhatsApp, various types of signs and practices Advertising companies have taken advantage of zebra crossings and vertical signs to try to draw the attention of users, returning them to the real world, where it is convenient to have all the senses in the environment, and not in the message.
It remains to be seen if more cities and regions in Spain decide to repeat this Murcian practice to try to reduce the percentage of run overs and accidentsat zebra crossings. And, as their posters say, you have to “pause the music, not your life”, because it doesn't cost more than a few seconds“answer when you've crossed”
Photographs: Joaquín Zamora
