Reader Response Final Draft

In the Straits Times article “Floor lights help 'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road”, Tan (2017) reports that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is trying out a new road-crossing feature at two locations which involves installing LED strips onto pedestrian crossing pavements. These strips will imitate the signals of pedestrian crossings to help smartphone zombies to be more aware of the changing traffic lights ahead. According to an interview by the author Mr. Tan with Mr. Meno (senior research fellow of Nanyang technological University), Mr Meno states that the installation of the floor lights will enhance the safety of pedestrians who are constantly looking at their smartphones as they are unaware of the road condition.

While the floor lights might guide smartphone zombies when crossing the road, it is not the right moral for them as it didn’t encourage them to change their attitude towards road safety.

The implementation of floor light will help to raise pedestrian awareness while crossing the road, but it does not solve the issue of smartphone zombies not caring about road safety while crossing. The floor light itself will not help in any way in reminding pedestrian to not use their phones while they are crossing the road. As many are too focused on their smartphone to realise that the floor light even exists in the first place which can be supported by the article “Most pedestrians were unaware of the LED strips when they came into operation yesterday afternoon” (Tan, 2017). Instead the use of a “no smartphone” might be a better way to remind the pedestrian to not use their smartphone while crossing the road.

Due to the fact that the majority of smartphone zombies are teenagers and young adults (Based on statistic from the article “Smartphone zombies break havoc in cities” from the website The Local (2016)), LTA can start with giving brochure about road safety to schools and work places to increase public awareness towards road safety especially the smartphone zombies.

Other than raising awareness, imposing a fine for pedestrian who cross the road while looking down on their devices might change their attitude greatly. This idea is supported by the Straits Times article “Educate ‘smartphone zombies’, not accommodate them”, Pakri (2017) reports that the use of floor lights is draining our public funds, instead LTA should impose penalty for pedestrian who is looking down on the phone while crossing the street, due to the fact that such similar measure has shown positive result on those who use mobile phones while driving, on e-scooter or e-bike riders. By imposing such penalty, smartphone zombies might hesitate about using their phone while crossing.

In conclusion, LTA will need to explore on other ideas that discourage pedestrian from using their phone while crossing the road as LED strips might not be the ideal solution. Not only that, it seems that the safety of people with photosensitive epilepsy are not being put into consideration as flashing LED lights at close distance might cause seizures (Epilepsy Society (2016, October), Photosensitive Epilepsy). At the end of the day, the pedestrians are still the one responsible for their own safety.

References:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/floor-lights-help-smartphone-zombies-keep-eye-on-the-road

http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/educate-smartphone-zombies-not-accommodate-them

https://www.thelocal.de/20160408/study-smartphone-zombies-wreak-havoc-on-cities

https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/photosensitive-epilepsy#.WeDXTWiCxPY


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