According to a Swinton, which is the leading high street car insurance retailer in the UK, pedestrians listening to their iPods while on the road are leading to a higher rate of traffic accidents. 

Referring to these pedestrians as “podestestrians,” the insurance company claims that those listening to their MP3 players are less likely to hear approaching traffic than other pedestrians.  This is partially because of the volume of their music, but is also attributed to the fact that many headphones are specifically designed to block out background noise.

According to data that Swinton has been collecting, there has been a significant increase in accident reports in which drivers report inattentive pedestrians as the cause of the accident.  In many of these cases, the pedestrians simply walked into the road without paying attention to where they were going.  As a result, drivers have had to stop suddenly, which causes the car behind them to rear end them. The problem is further compounded when pedestrians use their cell phones while listening to their MP3 players.

“This isn’t so much of a problem at major junctions, where traffic lights and crossings give visual guidance for when it’s safe to cross, but on quieter roads ‘podestrians’ can lead to drivers having to suddenly slam on their brakes,” said Steve Chelton, Insurer Development Manager for Swinton Insurance, in a press release.

“But when an absence of vehicle noise is combined with the visual distraction of texting you end up with a podestrian that’s even more ignorant to oncoming traffic. This greatly increases the likelihood of them causing an accident. “