Council officials in the German city of Augsburg have installed traffic lights in the ground to spare pedestrians the effort of looking up when crossing the road. 

The lights mean pedestrians wedded to their device screens can go about their day without putting their lives at risk.

Officials said the idea came about after a 15-year-old girl was killed by a passing tram. Witnesses said that she was distracted by her smarphone as she crossed the road.

A recent survey of major European cities found that almost 20 per cent of pedestrians were distracted by their smart phones. 

 

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