By Rhiannon Zanetic

iPods are in the firing line, being labeled as a contributing factor to the 25% rise in pedestrian fatalities in NSW, according to smh.com.au.

Apparently, pedestrians, drivers and cyclists listening to mobile audio devices enter a ‘zombie trance’, and this is seen as a factor in the increase in collisions and even deaths in both Europe and the US.

The issue has now come to the fore in Sydney, with the death of a 46-year-old woman from Glebe, reportedly wearing headphones when she was hit and killed by an ambulance on Saturday night. Authorities are speculating that due to her headphones, she may not have heard the sound of the ambulance siren as she crossed Parramatta road.

While the number of people killed on NSW roads throughout this calendar year has dropped, pedestrian deaths have risen by 25% to 53, compared to the 44 deaths for the same period last year.

The woman was one of six pedestrians who were hit by vehicles on state roads over the weekend, including a 34-year-old man who was killed by a bus in Leumeah yesterday morning.

Harold Scruby, of the Pedestrian Council of Australia told smh that research into deaths resulting from people not paying attention to traffic while using mobile devices was limited in NSW.

“Death by iPod' is a relatively new phenomenon so it may be slow in showing up because it can sometimes be a year between the fatality and the coroner's finding,” Scruby said.

“But we should be asking ourselves why are total road deaths declining while pedestrian fatalities continue to escalate? Maybe listening devices could be part of the explanation.”

Authorities say govt and manufacturers need to step up

While there are regulations that make distracted pedestrians who cause accidents liable for a $100 fine and face jail on more serious charges, the latest NSW policy figures from 2009 reveal that 406 fines were issued to pedestrians not paying attention.

In an attempt to educate the public, the Pedestrian Council's constructed a ''Lambs to the slaughter - wait for the green'' campaign that features a group of pedestrians wearing sheep heads and listening to mobiles and iPods shown in newspapers and billboards.

But Scruby said the increased popularity of iPods and listening devices indicates an urgent need for action by state government and manufacturers.

“The government is quite happy to legislate that people can lose two demerit points for having music up too loud in their cars, but is apparently unconcerned that listening devices now appear to have become lethal pieces of entertainment,” Scruby said.

“They should legislate appropriate penalties for people acting so carelessly towards their own welfare and that of others... Manufacturers … should be made to [warn] consumers of the risks they run,” he added.