Cell phones turning deadly for pedestrians

A new survey suggests that the number of emergency room patients who were injured while walking and talking or texting doubled from 2005 to 2010.

The recent study suggests that more and more people are getting hurt because they are focusing on their mobiles while walking, the New York Daily News reported.

Hospital data from 100 hospitals showed that more than 1,500 pedestrians were treated in emergency rooms across the country for cell phone-related injuries in 2010, according to researchers from the Ohio State University. That's more than double the number treated in 2005.

People under the age of 30 were the most at-risk for injuries stemming from cell phone distractions, particularly individuals between the ages of 16 and 25.

Reported injuries were caused by everything from falling 6 to 8 feet off a bridge to walking into traffic while talking on the phone, according to the study.

Researchers suspect the actual number of people suffering cell phone-related injuries is much higher than their findings suggest.

Study co-author Jack Nasar pointed out that not everyone who gets hurt goes to the hospital, and some might visit an urgent care center instead.

The study appears in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.