Hundreds of cyclists, pedestrians in Swedish emergency care after using mobiles

In the past 10 years, 650 pedestrians and cyclists have ended up in emergency wards in Sweden because of using their mobile phones while in traffic, new figures from the country's transport agency shows.

The study was commissioned by Swedish Television, which reported there are around 100 incidents per year wherein Swedes have been injured in traffic as a result of using their mobile phones while crossing streets or riding bikes.

"I wouldn't say it's a major safety issue but it is a widespread behavior," Tomas Fredlund, an analyst at the Swedish transport agency, Transportstyrelsen, told news agency TT.

Fredlund told Swedish Television that the most common -- and most serious -- mobile-phone related traffic accidents occur when pedestrians or cyclists are hit by vehicles. Those accidents tend to cause the most severe injuries. It is almost as common for people to walk into poles while on the phone, but in those cases the injuries do not tend to be as serious.

"There are also the odd cases of fatal accidents, but thankfully those are unusual," said Fredlund.

The transport agency statistics focus on cases whereby mobile-phone users have ended up in emergency wards with everything from skull injuries to more harmless fractures and soft tissue injuries.

Mobile-phone related traffic accidents still only stand for a small share of the total number of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. It is more common for pedestrians to slip on ice during winter, for instance. However, Fredlund believes many cases are never reported.

"If the police is involved then I think people tend not to tell them they've been inattentive," Fredlund said. Endit