Shashi Tharoor, taking a brief tumble down some steps in the outdoor Parliament complex on February 4, is a stark reminder that accidents can befall anyone who is not mindful of their surroundings.
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In a video shared on social media by the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram himself, Tharoor is seen speaking on his mobile phone while trying to walk down a crowded stair. In the blink of an eye, he misses a step and falls, before being helped up by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the other officials present at the scene.
In light of the accident, Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar took to X on February 5 to highlight the underlying cause and explain why it is necessary to take a break from the phone while walking or climbing stairs.
“One phone call. One staircase. One misstep.” That is all it takes for an accident to take place, noted Dr Kumar. The fact that Tharoor took a tumble while walking down a flight of stairs cannot be blamed on clumsiness, he argued, but rather on the natural functioning of the brain.
Risk of being on the phone while using the stairs
According to Dr Kumar, the brain is “terrible” at multitasking, that is, carrying on a conversation on the phone while moving. It is even worse when the movement comprises going down the stairs.
When an individual goes downstairs, the brain occupies itself with the following functions:
- Maintain balance
- Depth perception
- Foot placement
- Split-second corrections
The additional task of a phone call shifts the attention and drops the reaction time of the brain. This is all it takes for a mishap.
“As a neurologist, I can tell you, some of the worst head injuries I see come from simple falls, not big accidents,” noted Dr Kumar.
Safety measures to be taken
Dr Kumar advised avoiding using the phone while performing the following tasks:
- Going up or down stairs
- Crossing roads
- Walking on uneven surfaces
- Driving/riding
“Your brain can focus on movement or on your phone. Not both safely,” he cautioned. It is “too valuable to risk for a notification.”
The simplest safety hack to follow is:
- Pause the call.
- Look at the steps.
- Hold the railing.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
