Hawaiian Capital Honolulu has made it illegal to look at an electronic device while crossing a street. The law, which the city approved on Thursday, says that this includes cellphones, pagers, laptops, video games or any other mobile electronic devices. It aims to stop people from getting hit by vehicles at pedestrian crossings.
“Sometimes I wish there were laws we did not have to pass, that perhaps common sense would prevail,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said, while signing the Bill at one of the city’s busiest crosswalks. “But sometimes we lack common sense.”
The police can arrest a pedestrian looking down at a device while crossing the road. They can also fine them $15 to $35 (around Rs 960 to Rs 2,250) for a first offence, $35 to $75 (around Rs 2,250 to Rs 4,800) for a second and $75 to $99 (around Rs 4,800 to Rs 6,400) for a third.
However, the law does not make it illegal to speak on the phone while crossing a street or to look at a device while using the pavement.
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