Tel Aviv Testing Crosswalk Lights To Warn ‘Smartphone Zombies’

Many people these days bury their faces in their smartphones as they go about their daily commute. That’s why there’s no shortage of videos online of people bumping into things and falling down stairs because they were too distracted by their smartphones to see where they were going. To prevent such “smartphone zombies” from stepping into the road with oncoming traffic, Israel’s business capital Tel Aviv is now testing crosswalk lights.

The city has placed LED lightstrips on the ground which turn red and green at a central crosswalk. The idea is to catch the attention of pedestrians who are so caught up in what they’re doing on their smartphone that they don’t accidentally step into the road if they don’t look up from their phone’s display.

Tel Aviv isn’t the only city that has done something like this. Such tests have already been conducted in other places such as Singapore and Germany. Tel Aviv’s traffic management division’s head Tomer Dror said that they have seen some success with the lightstrips as pedestrians have been noticing them.

Ideally, people would watch where they’re going to make sure that not only they but others also remain safe. However, with the constant need to remain connected in this day and age, most people just lose themselves in their phones during their commute. The lightstrips intend to make a difference by at least giving a visual signal to them about when it’s safe to walk out into the road.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones