Someone to Watch Over You: Using Bluetooth Beacons for Alerting Distracted Pedestrians

Raiful Hasan; Mohammad Aminul Hoque; Yasser Karim; Russell Griffin; David C. Schwebel; Ragib Hasan

doi:10.1109/JIOT.2022.3187965

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Journal article

Someone to Watch Over You: Using Bluetooth Beacons for Alerting Distracted Pedestrians

Raiful Hasan, Mohammad Aminul Hoque, Yasser Karim, Russell Griffin, David C. Schwebel and Ragib Hasan

IEEE internet of things journal, Vol.9(22), pp.23017-23030

11/15/2022

DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2022.3187965

PMCID: PMC9696539

PMID: 36438016

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/9696539View

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Abstract

In the United States, an estimated 7005 (crude rate 2.13) pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2020, according to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). This statistic is currently increasing annually and research suggests that distraction by smartphones may be a primary reason for the increasing number of pedestrian injuries and deaths. Timely interruptions may alert inattentive pedestrians and prevent fatalities. To this end, we developed StreetBit, a Bluetooth beacon-based system that warns distracted pedestrians with a visual and/or audible interruption when they approach a potentially dangerous traffic intersection while distracted by their smartphones. We posit that by using StreetBit, we can educate distracted pedestrians and elicit behavioral change to reduce or remove smartphone-based distractions when they enter and cross roadways. To demonstrate the feasibility of StreetBit, we conducted a field study with 385 participants. The results show that the system demonstrates adequate feasibility and behavior change in response to the StreetBit program.

Behavioral sciences

Bluetooth

Bluetooth beacon

Cameras

distracted pedestrian

Global Positioning System

intervention

Legged locomotion

mobile devices

pedestrian safety

Safety

smart city

Visualization

young adults

Details

Title: Subtitle: Someone to Watch Over You: Using Bluetooth Beacons for Alerting Distracted Pedestrians
Creators: Raiful Hasan - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mohammad Aminul Hoque - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Yasser Karim - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Russell Griffin - University of Alabama at Birmingham
David C. Schwebel - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ragib Hasan - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: IEEE internet of things journal, Vol.9(22), pp.23017-23030
DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2022.3187965
PMID: 36438016
PMCID: PMC9696539
NLM abbreviation: IEEE Internet Things J
ISSN: 2327-4662
eISSN: 2327-4662
Publisher: IEEE
Number of pages: 14
Grant note: ECCS-1952090 / National Science Foundation (10.13039/100000001) R21HD095270 / Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (10.13039/100009633) DGE-1723768; ACI-1642078; CNS-1351038 / National Science Foundation (10.13039/100000001)
Language: English
Date published: 11/15/2022
Academic Unit: Research Administration
Record Identifier: 9984949478102771

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