Capital's kids urged to focus when walking

With children increasingly likely to be using a smartphone these days, a survey of students in Beijing has found that the distraction of mobile devices is exposing more teen pedestrians to the danger of traffic accidents.

The survey, conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries among children, quizzed students at 10 high schools in the capital. It was started in the autumn and continued until this spring and was supported by FedEx. The event was aimed at raising children's awareness of safe walking practices and the importance of not using mobile devices while walking.

After studying 1,000 responses, the findings were released on Monday at Beijing's Sanfan Middle School.

According to the report, 45 percent of students surveyed said they, or their friends and relatives, had experienced traffic accidents caused by the distraction of smartphones and tablets, while more than 60 percent of them admitted to not concentrating on their environment because of the use of such devices.

The survey also found that the top three distracting behaviors were texting friends, listening to music and making phone calls.

Wang Lin, a representative from Safe Kids China, a regional network of Safe Kids Worldwide, said children's lack of safety awareness amid their ever-increasing social-communications left them vulnerable.

"Just look around at any crossroads, you will for sure spot a lot of people walking with their heads bent over their phones, and some of them are children," Wang said on Monday.

"It's becoming an urgent need to raise public awareness of the potential danger to kids caused by the overuse of those devices. It's time to tell them 'devices down and heads up.'"

Zhang Jianping, a traffic police officer from Beijing's Xicheng district, echoed the findings, saying it has become increasingly common to see young people seriously injured in traffic accidents caused by walking, riding and driving with eyes fixed on devices.

"Real-life accidents have taught us enough harsh lessons about the importance of staying focused on the road," he said. "It's really necessary to better educate children to concentrate and leave their devices in their pockets."

To better promote the concept of safe walking, free of mobile devices, Safe Kids China and FedEx jointly launched the "Moment of Silence" campaign at Sanfan Middle School on Monday to educate students through video demonstrations, a safe-walking-themed poster design contest and interactive games simulating real-life traffic.

More than 160 students from the school participated in the event, which was introduced in China in Shanghai last year.

The event provided a platform for students to learn safety tips for themselves or from other students, which is more effective than learning from teachers and parents, said Li Guifen, director of the school's students' affairs department.

Li said it is equally important that parents set a good example to children by not using mobile devices while driving.