Honolulu recently passed a law that would allow police officers to ticket people for texting while walking in the street.
Honolulu recently passed a law that would allow police officers to ticket people for texting while walking in the street. The city of Honolulu argues the Distracted Walking Law will protect pedestrians from stepping in front of moving vehicles, but others believe a penalty of up to $99 for texting and walking is ridiculous, and you can't enforce common sense. What do you think?
PERSPECTIVES
The City of Honolulu recently passed the Distracted Walking Law, making it the first city to outlaw texting and walking. The new law allows Honolulu police officers to ticket pedestrians for texting while crossing the street, with fines up to $99.
"Starting today, texting while walking in a crosswalk can get you a ticket," Hawaii Public Radio's Bill Dorman reports for our Newscast unit. "In fact, a downward glance at a screen of any kind will cost you -- a phone, a tablet, a video game."
Under the new law, the only legal reason for a pedestrian to use a cellphone while crossing a street or highway would be to call 911 to report an emergency.
The City of Honolulu cited the National Safety Council which claims texting and walking pose a serious safety threat to pedestrians.
"Distracted walking injuries involving cell phones accounted for an estimated 11,101 injuries between 2000 and 2011, making it a significant safety threat. The trend is so alarming that it was included for the first time in the annual National Safety Council statistical report, Injury Facts(r), which tracks data around the leading causes of unintentional injuries and deaths."
Honolulu's 'Distracted Walking' Law Takes Effect, Targeting Phone Users
But Jim Treacher of The Daily Caller thinks the new law is just another example of government overreach. While everyone can agree staring at your phone while walking into a street is probably not a good idea, he argues it is not the business of municipalities to enforce such laws.
This raises the age-old question: What is the function of government? Yes, staring at your phone in the middle of a busy city street is a bad idea. You could be injured or killed. But is that anybody's business but yours? And how will this law be enforced? Will there be cops at every intersection, looking for people crossing the street with their phones out? Will it be done via surveillance camera? How do you prove somebody was reading a text, and not turning their phone off?
Just because something is a good idea doesn't mean it's a good law.
Honolulu Bans Looking At Personal Electronics On Crosswalks
Many have applauded Honolulu's decision, asking their own cities adopt similar laws.
That is a welcome move by Honolulu which must be followed by all the countries to avoid road accidents.
-- HalanSevannan (@HalanSevannan4) October 25, 2017
it should be illegal everywhere!
-- Mandy Elliott (@mandymarie0723) October 25, 2017
This is a global phenomenon fast assuming the dimensions of an "epidemic"...
-- Dr Sanjay Kr, (@sanjay_cro) October 25, 2017
But other believe you can't enforce common sense, and the distracted walking law is nothing more than the nanny state telling people what to do.
Maybe instead of dumb law we should just use common sense. WOW
-- Chris Walters (@Chris0Walters) October 25, 2017
Might be a good idea to look up when you cross a street. Shame there has to be a law to make you act intelligent instead of on your own
-- Sherry Davis (@likingyou) October 25, 2017
Why not just ban stupid! What else can we make a law about?
-- Benjamin Terpstra (@PbTerpstra) October 25, 2017
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