Americans were quick to ban talking on the phone and texting while driving, and now I take the first steps to ban texting on mobile phones while users are walking on the street. In Fort Lee, New Jersey, citizens its risk be fined if they are noticed by police officers while walking on the street and writing an SMS message. The ban comes as a result of the increase in the number of people who cross the street through unauthorized places and cause accidents due to negligence.
People caught texting on their mobile phones while walking face being fined by police in a US town. The clampdown comes after a rise in the number of jaywalking incidents, where pedestrians cross roads illegally or recklessly, instead of using marked routes. Officers in Fort Lee, New Jersey, have said some people are constantly putting themselves at risk of being hit by vehicles because they don't pay attention. Police are stepping up patrols looking for "dangerous" walkers who are not obeying the rules of the road. They have been handing out leaflets warning pedestrians about the crackdown. So far this year, more than 20 people have been hit by cars in Fort Lee.
Unlike in Romania, in the USA crossing the street through unauthorized places brings you a fine of almost $100 and there the law enforcement officers take this very seriously. For the time being in Fort Lee, citizens are warned that they will receive fines if they text on the phone while walking on the street, and probably in the coming months we will hear about the first fined people. Although the idea behind the ban seems to be good, I think that limiting the rights of citizens in such a way can only generate many appeals of the fines.
