US: Utah Valley University installs texting lane on stairs

A university in the US has decided to put an end to texters bumping into people while busy networking on their smartphones.

The Utah Valley University has divided a stairway into three lanes; one for walkers, one for runners and one for texters –people texting or operating their smartphones while walking.

The university's director for campus recreation Amy Grubbs told ABC News that while the move was intended to increase the aesthetic appeal of the stairway inside the university's Student Life & Wellness Center, it also lightens up the students.

"The stairs were just lifeless before. Students don't necessarily abide by it but it's funny to watch students push their friends over in the right lane as a joke if they're texting," said Grubbs.

"Other people don't even see it because they're so consumed in their phones."

The idea was conjured up by the university's marketing director.

"We did a lot of surveying with the students for what areas were the gloomiest and the staircases were often talked about," said Grubbs.

"Now, that's definitely not the case."

Smartphone road lanes

In 2014, a major city in Southwest China, Chongqing, took the smart phone obsession up a notch by creating an entire smart phone road lane to separate those using their phones from others.

"There are lots of elderly people and children in our street, and walking with your cellphone may cause unnecessary collisions here," said Nong Cheng, spokeswoman for the district's property management company, Meixin Group.

According to China Daily, a warning sign on the pavement next to the no cell phone lane reads: "Cell phone users walk in this lane at your own risk."