Science

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

The whooping cough epidemic in Washington is nearly over – but not soon enough for a baby in King County. The newborn was Washington’s first fatality this year, despite a near-record number of infections."The baby had gone home, and we believe it was exposed to someone with unrecognized pertussis, got infected, and then developed complications and died," says Jeff Duchin, chief of epidemiology for Public Health Seattle & King County.The newborn was less than two months old – meaning it was too young to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The first shots are given after two months.Protecting those young babies is one reason a booster shot is recommended for adults and older children. The illness is typically like a cold, in adults, but with a cough that can last for months.A new strategy involves vaccinating pregnant women."By vaccinating the mom, she produces high levels of antibodies and they get transferred to the baby, and the baby is born with good antibody protection," says Duchin.The federal advisory group on vaccines has been studying whether this would work, and the group announced in October this is the best way to protect newborns, suggesting for the first time that the Tdap booster (which also includes tetanus and diptheria) should be given during every pregnancy, regardless of whether the mother has had recent tetanus boosters. Previously, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the shot only if the mother hadn't had a recent booster.The Tdap booster must be given in the final months of pregnancy, or the benefits will wear off before the baby is born.The recommendation is so new many doctors may not be aware of it. Nationally, less than 3% of pregnant women were given the Tdap booster last year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Immunizing family members also helps -- by providing a "cocoon" of immunity around a newborn.The epidemic in Washington this year has led to more than 4,600 infections, the most in this state since 1941. 

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St

Walking is becoming more hazardous, with the spread of smart-phones. And it’s not just because drivers are distracted.Pedestrians who are texting or reading messages are four times more likely to do something dangerous than other pedestrians, according to researchers who looked at 20 of Seattle’s busiest intersections.Overall, about a quarter of all pedestrians had some sort of technological distraction, such as ear-buds, cell-phones, or text-messaging. But the impact of those technologies varies widely.And, by far, the most hazardous activity is typing or tapping at your handheld device.“The thing about text messaging is it captures you in, you get engaged,” says Dr. Beth Ebel of Harborview Medical Center’s Injury Prevention program, the senior author of the study, published in Injury Prevention (a British Medical Journal publication).“The minute you check to see who it is, your brain is elsewhere … and your brain is not engaged in a task like walking in the middle of the street.”The research team watched the behaviors of 1,102 pedestrians last summer, at different times of day. They recorded the ages, genders and what the pedestrians were doing.The good news: 70% were not distracted at all.Smartphones encouraging dumb behaviorYet, they saw pedestrians looking at their devices step off the curb without once looking up. People texting took longer to cross the street.“When you cross in front of a vehicle and you are not looking at the drivers eyes, and not looking at the next lane over, you are at serious risk of an injury,” says Ebel. Other studies have looked at the effects of texting devices on driving, but this is one of the first to look in detail at pedestrian behavior in real-world situations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPxZ1n4M-MPublic education or enforcement neededIt might be time for a safety campaign, says Ebel, similar to the “buckle-up” seatbelt promotions or the anti-drunk driving efforts.She’s coaching her children, and her patients as a pediatrician, to make a conscious choice about where they use their devices.“Text. Do what you want, look at your internet,” she says. "But, it’s not okay for you to do that while in your vehicle, and it’s really a poor and risky idea while you're [walking] in an intersection.”Top-10 Intersections for pedestrian injuries (from Seattle DOT): 3rd Ave & Pike St 5th Ave & Spring St Broadway E & E Olive Way 5th Ave S & S Jackson St 6th Ave & Pine St  Denny Way & Stewart St  15th Ave NW & NW Market St 23rd Ave & E Jefferson St Aurora Ave N & N Northgate Way 3rd Ave & Lenora St