As the Bulletin reported last month, and it has not gone down well with the general public, Spain is witnessing a radical change in the monitoring of pedestrian behaviour. What until recently was a common and seemingly harmless practice has become the focus of attention for traffic authorities, who have decided to extend their scope beyond drivers and cyclists.
Thousands of citizens could face fines for an everyday action that many carry out without realising how dangerous it is. The Directorate-General for Traffic has launched a strategy aimed at changing deeply ingrained habits among the population, particularly among younger people. Urban accident figures have prompted this decision. Between 20 and 30 per cent of serious accidents recorded in urban areas involve pedestrians being hit by vehicles, an alarming statistic that has led the authorities to take action with preventive and punitive measures.
The new enforcement campaign focuses on penalising pedestrians who cross the road whilst looking at their mobile phone, even when they do so correctly at a zebra crossing. This behaviour, which until now had been overlooked, is officially classified as a minor offence under current regulations. The fine amounts to €80 for using a mobile phone whilst crossing the road. Although this may seem excessive to some members of the public, the DGT justifies this measure as part of its strategy to protect vulnerable road users in urban areas.
Fortunately for offenders, this fine does not result in the loss of points on a driving licence, regardless of whether the person holds a driving licence or not. However, the financial impact of 80 euros is a sufficient deterrent to change behaviour. Studies on perception and attention show that using a smartphone whilst walking drastically reduces our ability to react to unexpected events. Peripheral vision is compromised by up to 95 per cent when we fix our gaze on the device’s screen.
Furthermore, the human brain experiences an almost complete disconnection from its surroundings when focused on the content of a mobile phone. This lack of attention can prove fatal in traffic situations, where fractions of a second make the difference between avoiding a collision or being involved in one. Road safety experts point out that a pedestrian distracted by their mobile phone takes between 1.5 and 2 seconds longer to react to an approaching vehicle – more than enough time for a collision to occur.