Pedestrians staring at their phones cause crowd confusion
Credit: Richard Slater/Alamy
Walkers so distracted by their mobile phones that they can't move in a straight line down the street have long been blamed for causing pavement pile-ups.
However, researchers have now scientifically illustrated how just a few rogue pedestrians staring at screens can send people behind and approaching them into a frenzy of confusion.
Crowds heading towards each other are plunged into chaos because the person too busy texting is not keeping tabs on who is ahead of them nor anticipating the behaviour of others, the study revealed.
Their lack of attention to their surroundings means the people approaching them are forced to move in unnatural directions to accommodate them.