Tourists at this holiday hot spot can now be FINED for texting while crossing the street
It might not be as bad as texting while driving, but texting while walking is posing a serious risk for pedestriansv
TOURISTS caught texting on their phones while crossing the street in Honolulu can now be fined by police.
The Hawaiian city announced this week that it was now illegal, in an effort to curb road accidents.
Local police have been given the authority to hand out a $35 (£26) fine to anyone trying to send a message while wandering across the road.
The island city is one of the first to enact such a law in the US, which came into effect this month, as it hopes to increase pedestrian safety.
Residents of Rexburg, Idaho have been subject to similar laws since 2011, with the city banning any use of hand-held devices while walking across the street.
Honolulu's Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the law came about due to a lack of "common sense" from citizens.
He told Hawaii News Now: "Sometimes, I wish there were laws that we did not have to pass, that perhaps common sense would prevail.
"But sometimes we lack common sense."
According to a 2011 study by the University of Alabama, texting while walking can pose a serious risk to pedestrians as their awareness of their surroundings are significantly reduced.
The study showed that schoolchildren on their phones took 20 per cent longer to cross the street and were 20 per cent less likely to look out for oncoming traffic.
Pedestrian fatality rates in the UK rose by 10 per cent last year, and made up a quarter of the nation's entire road toll, suggesting pedestrians may be becoming less vigilant when it comes to looking out for traffic dangers.
The problem of "text walking" has become so bad in some European countries that local councils have taken it upon themselves to designate special regions for screen-addicts to walk on pedestrian footpaths.
Early last year, Antwerp in Belgium introduced "text walking lanes" for people who can't take their eyes off their phone during their commute.
While it might not solve the safety issue when it comes to crossing the road, the initiative has helped stop pedestrians bumping into things.
