That India has the largest number of selfie-related fatalities in the world, as was revealed in research last year, is no surprise, if you consider the statistics from a recent 12-city survey by Samsung.

A 2016 report by Carnegie Mellon University, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi and National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, found that India accounts for 50 per cent of such deaths worldwide.

Samsung’s recent survey reports that nearly 60 per cent of Indian two-wheeler users ‘instinctively’ answer their mobile phones while riding. Seventy per cent of pedestrian respondents said they regularly answer the phone while crossing a road.

Should it be the boss calling, 18 per cent will respond immediately, while 51 per cent will answer by the third call, even if they are in the middle of the road.

Fourteen per cent of Indian pedestrians admit to taking selfies while crossing the road at least once a week.

Safety technology

While a large number are concerned about children using a phone while crossing the road, and truck and bus drivers using their phone while driving, 55 per cent think mobile phone companies should incorporate technology that prevents misuse of mobile phones on the road.

Samsung has launched a Safe India campaign to sensitise people to the dangers of using mobile phones and taking selfies on the move. According to a report on Carnegie Mellon University’s website, the most common manner of selfie deaths in the world was people falling from buildings, cliffs and other high places.

Water-related selfies accounted for the largest number of group deaths.

In India, a number of deaths occurred when friends or lovers posed on railway tracks. Gun-related selfie deaths occurred only in the US and Russia.

comment COMMENT NOW