A San Mateo County Supervisor is aiming his sights on the scourge of "distracted walking" today, with a proposal to ban use of cell phones by pedestrians as they cross the street.
San Mateo County Supe David Canepa is the man behind the resolution, which will be mulled at Tuesday's 9 a.m. meeting of the county's Board, KRON 4 reports.
The San Mateo Daily Journal reports that Canepa's proposed resolution banning the use of cell phones by people in crosswalks would serve to "urge California lawmakers to pass a law to ban distracted walking."
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, a crosswalk counts as a "crosswalk" whether is it marked by painted lines or not, and that unless otherwise specified, intersections count as crosswalks.
Speaking with the East Bay Times, Canepa says “Everyone loves their smartphones but let’s be honest — they can be downright dangerous...the state rightly banned texting and driving and now it’s time to protect pedestrians.”
Text of the resolution states that it is “just as important to walk cell free as it is to drive cell free...pedestrians and drivers using cellphones are both impaired and too mentally distracted to fully focus on their surroundings.”
If Canepa is successful in getting CA lawmakers to enact a ban, our state won't be the first. As of October of this year, it will be illegal to "cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device" in Hawaii, CNN reports. In Hawaii's case:
Police will have to actually observe somebody looking at their device to make an arrest. Fines will be $15 to $35 for the first offense, $35 to $75 for the second, and $75 to $99 for the third. It will still be legal to talk on your phone while crossing a street, or to look at your phone on the sidewalk.
According to the National Safety Council, "distracted walking incidents involving cell phones accounted for more than 11,100 injuries between 2000 and 2011."
It's worth nothing, however, that the NSC says that "52% of cell phone distracted walking injuries happen at home." Thus far, however, it appears that Canepa's resolution won't seek to govern cellphone usage inside one's abode — just the roadway, where he says he's sure a ban of phone use by walkers means "lives will be saved."
Related: Starting Sunday, You Could Get A Ticket For Holding A Cellphone While Driving