Using smartphones while walking on crowded city streets is not a good idea. All of us know it, but still risk using our phones while crossing streets. Games like Pokemon Go have increased the risk quotient even more in the recent months. To counter this risk-taking instinct of smartphone addicted people, an Australian firm has come-up with the idea of Smart Tactile Paving concept. The idea is to provide red lights in peripheral vision of people using smartphone for texting, gaming, social-networking or any other activity.

Büro North, a design firm has envisioned in-ground pedestrian traffic lights which alert the user of traffic light situation without even looking at the conventional traffic light. The idea is pretty simple and needs to be incorporated keeping in mind the rapid behavioral changes is us humans. This is drastically going to reduce the number of smartphone-related accidents.

According to Büro North: “Rather than attempting to modify behavior by legislation or punitive laws that will ultimately prove futile. We want to make cities safer by design”

Implementing this idea is also going to be simple, as the only thing needed is installation of tactile slabs into the pavements. These slabs will have LED lights which alert the user of current traffic situation. The lights will be in their peripheral vision even if they are looking at the smartphone screen, and this solves the problem in an intuitive manner.

Source: Smart Tactile Paving – Traffic lights for smartphone addicts