Gone are the days when people walking on the street held their heads up and even smiled at other pedestrians. Now, all you can see is people with their eyes glued to the screens of their mobile phones. This has not gone down well with the beautiful city of Honolulu. To give public a reality check, it has looked to bring a real change in this routine and went ahead and passed a law with effect from today against this practice. According to the New York Times, the police is now allowed to fine pedestrians up to $35 for viewing their electronic devices while crossing streets in the city and surrounding county. The report further states that Honolulu is thought to be the first major city to enact such a ban. The bill was proposed by Brandon Elefante, a City Council member. While talking about the bill, he was quoted saying, “This is really milestone legislation that sets the bar high for safety.” Elefante further added that now pedestrians will share the responsibility for their safety with motorists.
The total number of pedestrian deaths in the United States as of 2016 has risen to 5,987 as compared to the years before. According to federal data, as stated in the report, this toll is the highest on the roads in America since 1990. A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that the sharp rise in smartphone use is a frequent source of mental and visual distraction for both walkers and drivers.
Charles Chan Massey, the chief executive of Synaxis Meetings & Events, a management firm while talking about this new law said, “I’m guilty myself.” The report states that Charles himself uses the time walking to and from meetings and business lunches to catch up on calls, texts and emails. He further said, “A lot of people do it; they know it’s risky and do it anyway. They convince themselves that ‘this text is important.” He added, “It’s something we need to be aware of.”