Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: Distracted Walking A Danger For Teens

BOSTON (CBS) - A lot of us can relate with this one. A new study by a group called Safe Kids USA finds tech-happy teenagers need to start watching where they are going.

It may sound funny but it's actually pretty serious.

We already know that texting while driving is a big problem for teens. But the number of teenagers killed while crossing the street is also alarmingly high.

So researchers tracked 34,000 students around the country and found that 1 in 5 high schoolers are distracted while walking around town - sometimes dangerously - because they're either texting on their phones or because they're wearing headphones. They can't hear anything.

And girls were found more likely than boys to be walking while distracted.

A wide majority of teenagers say they don't consider themselves to be at greater risk because of all this. And it's no wonder why. Just look at Mom and Dad.

Remember the old anti-drug ads? "I learned it from watching you, Dad!"

That may be the moral of the story here. Because I see just as many adults walking around staring at their phones. And I'll admit that I am often one of them.

So maybe it's a chance for all of us to set a better example and talk to our kids about this problem.

And if they don't listen we could always text them.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz