© theideaforge.comOblivion of texting, the fine art of not paying attention.
Using your cellphone while crossing a street could become illegal in New Jersey, US, with violators facing
either a $50 fine or a 15 days incarceration, thanks to one enthusiastic lawmaker. "If a person on the road - whether walking or driving - presents a risk to others on the road, there should be a law in place to dissuade and penalize risky behavior," Pamela Lampitt, Democratic Assemblywoman, who sponsored the bil
l - which was introduced on Monday - told local media.
She claims that with more people becoming distracted by their evolving gadgets, laws managing their use have to follow. "Distracted pedestrians, like distracted drivers, present a potential danger to themselves and drivers on the road. A pedestrian distracted by their device and unaware of oncoming traffic may cause unsuspecting drivers to brake suddenly or swerve out of the way, creating a potentially deadly situation," Lampitt is quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, experts have been citing links between distracted walking and pedestrian injury for some time now. According to a
study by Corey Basch, associate professor of public health at William Patterson University, based on observing the behavior of some 21,000 pedestrians at five busy Manhattan intersections,
"it came as a surprise that there were so many pedestrians distracted by technology during the walk signal, but the fact that there were even more distracted by technology crossing on a 'don't walk' signal is astonishing. It's clearly a public health concern".
Comment: As one protester states when referring to Trump in the following video, "We want people across the country to know that there's something really dangerous going on and it's really important for everyone to pay attention." That something is called fascism.