This simple idea could prevent you from getting hit by a car while staring at your phone

We're all guilty at occasionally staring at our phones for too long while walking (and either putting ourselves in danger or just seriously annoying the people around us).

But Australian design studio Büro North is proposing a new system to make sure people don't walk into ongoing traffic while looking down. Büro North wants to embed LED lights into the sidewalk that flash green when it's safe to cross the street.

RAW Embed

Called Smart Tactile Paving, the system will also flash red so you stop before getting yourself in a bad situation.

And as Büro North said, Smart Tactile Paving could particularly come in handy for those glued to the "Pokémon GO" app.

This isn't the first time we've heard of this concept. The New South Wales government is installing the light system in Sydney, Australia, The Guardian reported. The German city of Augsburg is also installing the lights following a March accident where a 15-year-old girl got hit by a train while looking at her phone.

You can learn more about it here:

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/3JlsIi3bPq0
Width: 800px
Height: 450px

NOW WATCH: 6 'Pokémon GO' tips only power users know about