Walking While Texting Can Break Bones and Phones

Did you know that distracted walking causes approximately 2,500 pedestrian injuries annually? It’s a fact! As a result of a mid-2016 WorkSafeBC investigation into an incident at our Nanaimo campus, VIU’s Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) was tasked with creating an anti-distraction campaign to address the issue of distracted walking at VIU. JOHSC Worker Co-Chair, Tiffany McLaughlin, and JOHSC Employer representative, Kristine Chyplyk, worked in collaboration with graphic designer Amanda Key and Communications Specialist Alyson Winks to create a series of cards that were distributed across campus in October of this year. The cards were designed to resemble social media notifications with short, humorous messages aimed at drawing attention to the consequences of walking and texting. If you’re out walking and you need to text or make a phone call, step out of the way and stop moving so you don’t hurt yourself or others. Walking and texting can break bones and phones!