Study: Dangerous Incidents Rise For Those Wearing Headphones While Walking

By Dr. Brian McDonough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You see them everywhere; people using iPods or MP3 players, one type or another, and wearing headphones for the handheld device. However, there is now disturbing news from The British Medical Journal.

A researcher has found the number of cases of serious injury sustained while walking along the street wearing headphones for a handheld device has dramatically risen. It has tripled in six years. The effects are predominately found in teens and young adults.

And there is an obvious cause. The authors say that sensory deprivation and distraction make the wearer unable to hear external sounds and react.