In recent years, the number of serious or fatal injuries to walkers, bicyclists or other pedestrians who are listening to headphones has more than tripled, according to a new study. This increase in pedestrian accident deaths is affecting young people the most, as they are more likely to be listening to headphones while they walk or bike than many other demographics.

The study was completed through a review of about 120 pedestrian accidents that took place from 2004 to 2011. All of the crashes studied involved a pedestrian who was wearing headphones when he or she was struck by a car, train, or other motor vehicle. Researchers found that the pedestrians were injured in nearly all of the accidents, and that they suffered life-ending injuries in about 70 percent of the motor vehicle accidents studied.

Specifically, more than two-thirds of the pedestrians involved in both the fatal and non-fatal accidents were males under the age of 30. This is a demographic that is more likely to be listening to headphones while walking or bicycling than other age groups, researchers said. "The increased incidence of accidents over the years closely corresponds to documented rising popularity of auditory technologies with headphones," the study stated.

In addition, about one-third of the motor vehicle drivers or train operators involved in the crashes studied reported that they had sounded their vehicle's horn prior to the pedestrian accidents. This reinforces researchers' belief that headphones were a major contributor to the accidents, removing pedestrians' ability to hear the oncoming vehicles and avoid the motor vehicle accidents.

Source: USA Today, "Study: More headphone-wearing walkers hit by cars," Chris Woodyard, Jan. 17, 2012