Honolulu BANS Pedestrians and Street Crossing from Mobile Texting. The city of Honolulu, in the US state of Hawaii, no longer jokes with pedestrians obsessed by their smartphone: from Wednesday, October 25, crossing the street by reading or tapping his mobile phone will be liable to a fine up to 35 dollars.
It is the first big American city to tackle the “phone zombies,” as these pedestrians are taped to their screen and become a real public health problem.
Signed in late July by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, this measure comes into effect on Wednesday, October 25 and states that “no pedestrian has the right to cross a street or a highway by looking at an electronic device.”
However, it is still allowed to talk on the phone while crossing, as long as you look in front of and around you.
“It is a flagship legislation that raises the bar regarding security,” said Brandon Elefante, a city council member, quoted by the New York Times, at the time of signing this measure he initiated.
Last year, nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed by cars, about 11% more than in 2015 and 22% more than in 2014, according to the State Governors Association on Safety. Highways (GHSA), and the highest level of pedestrian accidents in two decades.
An alarming rise attributed by the GHSA to “distraction,” both of motorists and pedestrians, “due to the increasing use of smartphones.”