Groups warn against 'textwalking'

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 25 (UPI) -- The American College of Emergency Physicians and at least one Illinois lawmaker are warning citizens to avoid a hazardous practice: texting while walking.

Illinois state Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, introduced a bill that would outlaw "textwalking" after the American College of Emergency Physicians issued a warning against text messaging while walking, riding a motorcycle or playing football, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also issued a text-related warning against using the cell phone feature while cooking noodles after a 13-year-old girl suffered burns to her belly, arms and legs.

"I think of something to say and I'm too busy to stop," Kate Beer, 23, of Springfield, Va., said of her textwalking habit. "I need to get back quickly. I know, it's not the smartest."