Since I am the sponsor of this bill, I will start off debate.
We are all familiar with the dangers of distracted driving. But with the ever increasing usage of technological devices, this has become a safety issue and a problem with pedestrians as well.
Statistics show an increasing number of injuries due to distracted walking amongst the population.
I believe it is imperative that this trend is reversed for the safety of our citizens. That is the purpose of this bill.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/07/distracted-walking-handhelds-send-more-and-more-to-emergency-room/One woman walked off a pier while texting. Another strolled into a water fountain. Americans continue to flirt with death as their love affair with smartphones and other electronic devices flourishes, a government agency says.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 1,150 people — a number that has quadrupled in the last seven years — were treated in emergency rooms last year after accidents with handhelds.
“I think people aren’t quite aware of how dangerous distracted walking can be,” Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency room physician at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, told ABC News today. “Keeping your head down while walking and not looking ahead of you can lead to a significant incident of injuries.”
There are some interesting statistics in this article.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1234043--distracted-walking-causing-more-pain-at-a-hospital-near-youOn city streets, in suburban parking lots and in shopping centres, there is usually someone strolling while talking on a phone, texting with his head down, listening to music or playing a video game. The problem isn’t as widely discussed as distracted driving, but the danger is real.
Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. have more than quadrupled in the past seven years and are almost certainly underreported. There has been a spike in pedestrians killed and injured in traffic accidents, but there is no reliable data on how many were distracted by electronics.
