They've been blamed for people being struck by vehicles and by lightning. They may be responsible for burns and car crashes, and unwittingly may have encouraged beatings and robberies.So, for all the convenience they offer, some of our modern technological gizmos, like cell phones and iPods, seem to have a down side. And public safety and other officials are taking notice.For instance, the recent Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon adopted the USA Track & Field rule banning the use of such personal electronic devices, said spokesman Mark Winitz."The USATF has decided the use of iPods by runners is dangerous, and has issued a rule prohibiting their use in races," Winitz said.The use of iPods, cell phones and other electronic devices by runners and other athletes in training, can endanger their safety by making them less aware of their surroundings, he added.On the other hand, Paul Steely White of Transportation Alternatives wrote recently that, "iPods don't kill pedestrians. Cars and trucks kill pedestrians. So instead of blaming the victim, our elected officials should be passing tougher laws for reckless driving."But it's not just drivers who threaten device users.A Colorado teenager was reportedly hit by lightning recently while mowing the lawn and listening to his iPod, winding up with large scars on his feet and burn marks on his hands.And doctors in London have warned of listening to an iPod or using a cell phone during a thunderstorm, saying the metallic devices and wires could act as a conductor, causing potentially lethal internal injuries.They cited the case of a 15-year-old girl hit by lightning and severely injured while using a cell phone in a London park.When a person is struck by lightning, the human skin's high resistance usually results in flashover - where the lightning is conducted over the skin rather than through the body. But some experts say that metallic objects such as cell phones or iPods, in direct contact with skin, disrupt the flashover and result in internal injury with a greater risk of dying.Fatalities have been noted in Malaysia, South Korea and China in 2005.But personal electronics users have more than the fear of naturally occurring phenomenon to worry about.Though no statistics are available, several local safety and school officials said electronic devices are frequently involved in accidents and crimes."It happens a lot, that we're stuck behind a car that won't move because the driver is distracted by their cell phone or loud music," said Vallejo's Medic Ambulance supervisor Jimmy Pierson. "Sometime, they eventually look up and notice the lights and slam on their brakes. They cause a lot of accidents that way."Pierson said he recalls the recent case of an 18-year-old woman who nearly lost her life during a phone call on the road near Fairfield."Her phone rang, and she looked at it, saw it was her boyfriend and went right off the road," Pierson said. "She missed a curve in the road, and wound up in critical condition. She told us the last thing she remembered was checking to see who was calling."A 22-year-old from Vallejo went though a fence and popped all four tires when his attention shifted from the road to his phone, Pierson recalls.But distraction-related injuries aren't the only type blamed on the gadgets."We've had people beaten up for their iPod or cell phone," Pierson said. "About two weeks ago, a 12-year-old kid got beaten up for his iPod. It happens all the time."Vallejo Police Department's youth services unit supervisor Sid De Jesus, said the problems involving these devices often vary by their type."Cell phones can be useful, but sometimes they become part of the problem," De Jesus said. "When there's an incident at school, like a fight, sometimes they use the cell phones to contact others who come and become part of the problem."IPods on the other hand, "are a different story," De Jesus said."These have absolutely no purpose at school," he said. "They're more of a distraction. Walking around with their earplugs plugged in, they're disconnected from what's going on around them."Both cell phones and iPods, especially the newest and coolest versions, have proven too much of a temptation for thieves, De Jesus said."We deal from time to time with people steeling iPods and cell phones, and in some cases the victims are beaten and robbed of their iPod or phone," he said. "It doesn't happen a lot, but it happens." Vallejo Fire Department Capt. Paige Meyer said text messaging on cell phones while driving is a growing problem. "We get to an accident scene, and there's a cell phone on the ground, and we're pretty sure the cell phone's involved," Meyer said."This is especially dangerous for young, inexperienced drivers, especially when they text message as they drive. It's an increasing problem. We see it quite often."