Smartphones and pedestrians

Sir, – Further to "People warned of staring at their phones while walking" (Sorcha Pollak, News, April 18th), I would welcome the reporting of near-misses to the Road Safety Authority. I was walking behind two pedestrians last summer who stopped at a bus stop to take a selfie. As they were blocking the path, I went to side-step them. Unaware of my presence, they decided to take another selfie but this time the selfie-taker on the left swung out his arm. Seeing a fist coming toward me from the corner of my eye, I ducked, slipped on the raised kerb and fell into the path of an oncoming car, sustaining knee and elbow injuries. But for the quick reactions of the motorist, I wouldn't be reporting this event. My glasses were under the front bumper and I could see a tyre a few feet from my head.

Smartphone users need to consider their surroundings and the effect of their actions on passersby. As my wife said, it thankfully was not my time. – Yours, etc,

DAVID KELLY,

Portmarnock,

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Co Dublin.