A research was carried out to know the effect of texting and walking while being cognitively distracting and maintaining control over common pedestrian obstacles. Researchers came to know that participants took longer to complete the distance while texting and were cognitively distracted.

Researchers also noticed that texting while walking reduces ability to walk in a straight line. When experiments were carried out, researchers asked the participants that they should reduce their walking speed to avoid any accident while they performed cognitive challenges.

Study researchers noted that not only people walk slowly while texting on their mobile phones, they also make large, exaggerated movements in order to negotiate crowds and compensate for their reduced vision.

Study's co-author Dr Conrad Earnest said that they came up with idea after seeing pedestrians busy on their mobile phones in Bath city centre. The researchers then enrolled 30 participants aged between 18 and 50 and made them complete three different walking tasks around an obstacle course.

The participants had to complete the course in three different ways- walking normally; texting and walking and texting and walking while being cognitively distracted with simple math test. Using a 3D motion, the researchers have examined the walkers' gait.

The researchers have even modeled every task to know the differences between trails. It was found that the participants took more time to complete the course while texting and being cognitively distracted when compared with just walking.

"This study shows that people who are walking, texting and undertaking may slow their pace and alter their gait as a protective measure to perform all the required tasks simultaneously", affirmed the researchers.