In Antwerp , Belgium, a special lane was created so you can type without distractions and surf from smartphone without having to stop every now and then.
Local authorities noticed that everyone was walking around distractedly with their cell phones or tablets in hand and did not stop sending messages on Facebook Messenger , Twitter , Viber , WhatsApp and other similar text messaging services, etc., resulting in them bumping into passersby or other obstacles , even fixed objects(!) and creating a " traffic jam ".
A related Pew study reports that accidents and injuries due to distraction from mobile devices have increased by 35% in the last 5 years, which is why local authorities in Antwerp adopted this “strange” solution!
All of this may sound a bit funny and strange, but if one takes into account that the number of smartphones on the planet exceeds the number of its inhabitants, it is not surprising that this lane as a solution to the problem has been implemented in other areas of the planet, such as on busy streets in Washington, or the city of Chongqing, China, but also in Utah and New Jersey, USA.
The use of the strips is currently experimental to assess whether or not they will bring results.
