More young men die in accidents related to the hull

When two Canadian teenagers were beaten and killed by trains in opposite ends of the

country this week, the similarities between the two tragedies is instantly appealing.
In Alberta, 19, Daniel McPherson was walking near railroad tracks south of Edmonton on

the afternoon of Wednesday, when he was hit by a train. McPherson had an iPod with

headphones headphones, Alberta RCMP said.
Two hours before, 16, Jacob Hicks had been beaten by a train in broad daylight, in

Oshawa, Ontario. Hicks also wore a helmet when he was beaten.
But as tragic as the similarities between the two are dead, incidents illustrate what is

becoming a growing problem, especially among young people.
A new U.S. study, the number of fatalities involving pedestrians wearing headphones has

increased dramatically in the last seven years.
The most striking statistical research between 2004 and 2011, the number of deaths

related to the hull of pedestrian accidents increased by three times the U.S.
In 2004, 16 cases were reported in the U.S., but by 2011 that number was 47.
Although statistics are not available in Canada, taking into account comparable sales

personal audio devices and smartphones from both countries, the statistics might be

similar.
Led by Dr. Richard Lichtenstein, the American study found that the vast majority of

deaths of young boys helmet: 68 percent of victims were men and 67 percent were under

30.

Lichtenstein, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said

in a telephone interview CTVNews.ca this week decided to launch the study after reading

about the death of a teenager killed at a crossing.
Press reports at the time said the teens was wearing a helmet and did not return to the

station calls warning.
While auditory deprivation is a major problem, there is more to it than just his, said

Lichtenstein.
"It's probably easier to walk and chew gum, but if you focus on your music, you can not

pay attention to traffic around," said Lichtenstein.
In fact, about 55 percent of the total number of pedestrian deaths headset linked to the

study of the trains involved, and a wake up call sounded at 30 percent of fatal accidents.
In search of Lichtenstein, who wrote about a phenomenon called "inattention blindness"

which occurs when multiple sources of stimulation drain the brain's ability to allocate their

limited resources.
The study deliberately left out of accidents involving cell phone use and text messaging, he

said, but noted that both areas have undergone no doubt, because "we know that people


can use smart phones have a headset in place. "
"Clearly, struck a chord," he said of his research. "I think it's really something that people

recognize as a problem."
How to fight a growing problem?
But the problem may get worse before it gets better, especially since the evolution of style

headphones.
In recent years, consumer tastes have changed the high quality headphones, including

large ears that cover models like those developed by hip hop producer Dr. Dre.
This change is illustrated by its Beats by Dr. Dre brand, which accounted for 42 percent of

U.S. $ 1.2 billion in sales last year quarter. Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber also launch some


brands of similar firms.
This is something that Wei Celina registered audiologist has witnessed first hand their work

in a clinic in Edmonton.
But Wei, who works at the Center for Ery hearing, said the style of the headset itself can

not be the true source of security concern.
"Many of the new style headphones are made to reduce ambient noise, so the person

does not turn on the music so loud," he said.
"I do not think it is both the helmet, but the volume in which they take their music. If

strong enough to not hear anything with the environment at all, especially horns and

sirens, then it is too difficult. "
In response, some jurisdictions have come to control the use of headphones in public.

In Quebec, it is illegal to spend with headphones on, with fines for offenses.
U.S., Delaware, California, Maryland, have similar laws that indicate that cyclists should

always have one ear uncovered while driving.

But when asked about solutions, researcher Lichtenstein said the drafting of new laws may

not have the desired effect as it would be "heavy" to be applied.
"Education and awareness are actually one of my main goals," he said.
But as society becomes increasingly attached to gadgets like the iPhone, Lichtenstein said

the consequences can be serious.
"At best, when you wear a helmet, it is difficult to keep the conversation, in the worst case,

we can not hear the warnings and the risk of being hit by a train."