The American College of Emergency Physicians has issued an alert about the rise of text-related injuries and deaths, often the result of texting while walking, driving, biking or rollerblading.

"It's tragic," said Dr. Linda Lawrence, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in a statement. She noted that her colleagues across the country are anecdotally reporting cases, "among teens and young adults, in particular, who are arriving in emergency departments with serious and sometimes fatal injuries because they were not paying attention while texting."

Many of the text-related injuries turn out to be minor, but some can be deadly. An emergency physician in San Francisco told of a young women who stepped off a curb while texting and was hit and killed by a passing truck.

"The bottom line is to be aware of potential safety concerns and to simply exercise caution, restraint and good judgment at all times when using a cell phone or Blackberry," said Dr. Lawrence.