Torrevieja has implemented a pioneering project, the first town to do so in Europe, for pedestrians who are absent-minded while walking along using their mobile phones. The device will be presented next month at the Amsterdam Mobility and Road Safety Fair, INTERTRAFFIC, the largest event in it’s sector in Europe
The Councillor for Security and Emergencies, Federico Alarcón, said that a pilot system has been fitted by an Alicante company at traffic lights located on Avenida de La Libertad, in front of the Torrevieja Casino.
He said that it was intended to stop pedestrians, who are distracted by their mobile phones, from crossing the road while the traffic lights are on red.
An image takes the form of a pedestrian on the road that turns red when the traffic light is red and green when it is green. In this way, pedestrians about to cross the zebra crossing, and who are looking at the ground using their mobile phone, will immediately be warned of the colour of the traffic light.
The councillor said that the lack of attention shown by pedestrians is increasing, as they are more aware of their mobile than traffic. In a study carried out in 2019 by Ponle Freno and Axa, 37% of those surveyed admitted crossing the street looking at their Smartphone.
