According to Time, the ban makes Honolulu the first major American city to pass legislation targeting “distracted walking” in a bid to increase road safety.
Honolulu in Hawaii has become the first city in the world to ban people from looking at their phones or other digital devices while crossing roads.
A new city ordinance makes it illegal for pedestrians to look at electronic devices while crossing the street. The law goes into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 25.Police have spent the past 90 days educating pedestrians of the new law.
The law imposes fines on anyone caught crossing a street while “viewing” a cellphone or similar device. Emergency responders using their phones for their work are exempt.
First-time offenders will be fined between $15 and $35. Persistent violators will be fined up to $99.
As cellphones, particularly smartphones filled with distracting social media and messaging applications, have become more widespread, the number of pedestrians injured while paying too much attention to their phone has surged.
More than 11,000 injuries resulted from phone-related distraction while walking in the US between 2000 and 2011, according to a University of Maryland study published in 2015.On-duty emergency responders are also allowed to view their electronic devices if the situation calls for it.
