SOURCE: ABC News
The state assembly in New Jersey is currently considering a bill that would make what they call “distracted walking” a crime punishable by a fine or even jail time. New Jersey state assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt has introduced the bill that would site a $50 fine and even up to 15 days in jail for people caught texting and walking. Lampitt stated that people had to be punished for what she referred to as “risky behavior”. This may be a tough sell as cell phone addiction continues unrecognized and several other states have rejected such legislation in the recent past.
Lampitt commented that, “Distracted pedestrians, like distracted drivers, present a potential danger to themselves and drivers on the road. An individual crossing the road distracted by their smartphone presents just as much danger to motorists as someone jaywalking and should be held, to a minimum, to the same penalty.”
The legislation being proposed would make it a crime to talk and text at the same time on public streets as well as make it criminal for anyone walking along a public thoroughfare while talking on their phone if it wasn’t a hands free situation. One New Jersey politician was quoted as saying that the $50 fines would go toward education programs for people so that they will better understand the dangers of texting and walking.
Even though New York discovered that nearly 30% of its pedestrians were distracted while walking, a similar measure failed to pass in Albany. Nevada, Illinois, and Arkansas also had similar legislative proposals but they, too, like New York, never became law. Hawaii has recently made a proposal only they intend to fine people $250 for “distracted walking”.
Safety experts have recently chimed in that distracted cell phone use has become a huge problem everywhere, not just in the United States of America. Safety research from 2014 discovered that distracted walking cause nearly 80% of all injuries to pedestrians who had to get help for their injuries at an emergency room. Most pedestrians suffered concussions, sprains and actual fractures.
Safety experts also point out certain examples like a woman in Florida who was killed by a train while she was staring down at her phone and the teenager from New York City who was walking along staring at his phone and fell into a manhole.