How dangerous is it to walk, talk and listen?

In the jargon of this tech-savvy age, it has been dubbed "iPod oblivion" - and Australian police say it can be lethal for pedestrians and cyclists, alike.

It is a near trance-like state people can apparently enter while using mobile phones, MP3 players or electronic personal organisers.

Psychologists call "divided attention" or "inattentional blindness," and it is increasingly becoming the focus of road safety awareness campaigns around the world.

Some of the worst offenders are pedestrians who not only listen to music with headphones plugged into both ears, but simultaneously punch out text messages or check e-mails as they pound the pavement. Cyclists who ride while listening to iPods are also at risk, according to campaigners.

In the Australian state of Victoria, police have been warning for months about the dangers of "iPod Oblivion" and their fears were realised earlier this month when a 45-year-old cyclist rode into the path of a tram while using one of the players.

Unaware of the oncoming tram, he was knocked off his bike and then pushed along the tram tracks. Police say he was lucky to escape with only minor injuries - bruising to his leg and a sore knee.

While there is no law stopping the use of headphones while cycling, the Victorian police are trying to increase public awareness of the risks. They are also penalising pedestrians who flout road safety laws.

In early May, the police launched a crackdown on errant pedestrians, who were ignoring red lights and not using designated crossings.

In the space of three days, 613 pedestrians were given penalty notices and fines. Many were using iPhones or other portable devices, according to Inspector Greg Parr of the Victoria Police.

'Affecting concentration'

"You call it 'iPod oblivion,' I just call it stupidity," said Inspector Parr. "It's a constant problem. They just walk up to the road and keep on walking.

"We have always told motorists to look out for pedestrians. Now we are increasingly telling pedestrians to look out for motorists," he said.

"We are stressing equal responsibility. In road accidents in the central business district in Melbourne, 90% are caused by pedestrians."

In Victoria, pedestrian deaths have shown a worrying increase. In 2008, there were 59 fatalities compared with 41 the previous year.

Inspector Parr says much of the increase is explained by a surge in the number of people using public transport as a result of the global economic downturn, but that there is no data on how many of the accidents were linked to the use of electronic devices.

"It's not just pedestrians, it's cyclists," says Inspector Parr. "People riding their bikes to work. It has to affect your concentration."

A survey from Queensland released in September last year by the Australian insurance company, NRMA Insurance, highlighted how common the use of electronic devices has become, and how distracting they can be to pedestrians.

It suggested that 80% of people aged between 18 and 29 sent text messages while they were walking along the road, and that 73% listened to some kind of MP3 player.

"It's how young people live," says Inspector Robert McCall of the Queensland Police. "They put these things in their ears and then they're off."

More than 500 pedestrians are killed on the roads in Queensland each year, mostly as a result of disobeying Don't Walk signs, running across busy roads, and intoxication. Again, the fear is that the so-called iPod oblivion could be a factor.

"London, Bonn, Sydney, Brisbane. It's exactly the same," says Inspector McCall. "I think we are fighting a losing battle because of the use of so much new technology."

Don't just blame the teens

"iPod oblivion" may well be something of a misnomer since a recent study from psychologists at the Western Washington University in America found that mobile phones were more of a distraction than MP3 players. In one study, where mobile phone users were asked if they had noticed a brightly coloured clown riding around on a unicycle while they were walking along, a remarkable 75% said they hadn't.

It was a particularly vivid illustration of inattentional blindness, especially since the clown was dressed in garish purple and yellow.

Nor is the problem limited to the iPhone generation. A recent study from the Pew Research Center in America found that adults were just as likely as teens to have texted while driving.

It found that 75% of mobile-phone owning adults had spoken on their phones while driving, and that nearly half - 47% - had sent or read a text at the wheel. Away from their cars, one in six adults admitted to bumping into either a fellow pedestrian or an object because they were so engrossed in talking or texting on their phones.

Australia has long been in the forefront of road safety campaigns. Victoria was the first jurisdiction to bring in seat belt legislation. Random breath-testing is the common norm.

And strict restrictions are placed on "P-plate drivers," who have only recently passed their tests. This limits the power of their car's engine and how many passengers they can carry at prescribed times of the day.

Now the police are paying increasing attention to the pedestrians who do not appear to be doing so.