Coming off the heels of this post where I wrote that states are trying to remind drivers to “drive safe”, I should add that you’re not off the hook if you are a pedestrian, either.

There are videos of oblivious people who walked into walls or into other people when they are distracted.  This can get dangerous.  Earlier this year, a woman who was walking and texting got seriously injured when she walked and fell into a trap door.

 

You Can Be Fined in Honolulu

If you are going to be traveling to the city/county of Honolulu, you should be aware that the city had passed a bill (cc-62) that allows officers to fine pedestrians for using electronic devices while crossing the streets.

The bill specifically indicates, “No person shall cross a street or highway while using a mobile electronic devices”.  It does provide for an exception clause for “911 emergency communication”.

According to this article, “It will still be legal to talk on phones while crossing a street or to look at phones on the sidewalk.”   The fines can get up to $35 for the first offense, $75 for the second and $99 for the third.”

This bill took effect this past Wednesday, October 25.

Pay Attention

I think everyone is guilty of occasionally walking and texting, myself included.  Still, I think most people have the reasonable sense to pause and look both ways when crossing the streets.

Frankly, I don’t recall seeing a lot of people crossing sidewalks and texting when I visited Honolulu earlier this year.  It will be interesting to see how this bill gets enforced and what the numbers look like.