How many people are killed each year while taking selfies?
Selfies have risen to immense popularity in recent years as cell phone technology has evolved to allow users to capture pictures and videos of themselves, often along with fun filters and effects. While generally taking a selfie is a harmless act done on a daily basis by many youths, at times attempted selfies can turn deadly. According to the India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, at least 259 people across the world have been killed while taking selfies in dangerous locations in the past 6 years. Our Albuquerque, New Mexico personal injury attorneys discuss the potential dangers associated with selfies and how tourist locations could potentially prevent selfie deaths below.
Causes of Selfie Deaths
Most selfie takers can likely remember a time when they perhaps lost their concentration on the outside world as they attempted to take the perfect picture. Usually a momentary loss of focus on your surroundings will not result in danger, but if you are standing in a potentially dangerous location the result can be catastrophic. The top causes of selfie accidents include drowning, where a user is washed away or falls off a boat while attempting to take a selfie, or falls, wherein the selfie taker falls from an extreme height while trying to take a picture. Selfie sticks, which allow the selfie to be taken from a distance, are often involved in selfie accidents.
India has become the most common location for selfie deaths. This is thought to be due to the large number of young people in the nation and the country’s massive population. Russia and the U.S. are tied for second in instances of selfie deaths. The vast majority of selfie deaths worldwide involve men who are in their teens or under the age of 30.
To combat selfie deaths, researchers at the India Institute of Medical Sciences have proposed making selfie free areas at popular tourist locations that could result in accidents. Monuments with heights, boats, cliff side locales, and the like could all potentially feature signs and warnings for tourists not to take selfies for safety reasons. Cell phone users should make themselves aware of the potential danger of taking selfies or otherwise being distracted and pay attention to their surroundings at all times.
Posted in: Personal Injury