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Would You Ban Texting and Walking?

Honolulu, Hawaii, passed a law against texting while walking. Should your town be next?

February 2019

By Kristin Lewis

You’re walking home when your phone buzzes. You look down to see that your friend just liked your selfie on Instagram. You’re scrolling through the comments when—

SCREECH! A car slams on its brakes. You have walked into a busy crosswalk.

Hopefully, nothing this scary has ever happened to you. But walking while using a phone—or distracted walking—has become very common. And it’s incredibly dangerous. Between 2000 and 2011, distracted walking caused more than 11,000 injuries in the U.S.

Taylor Fujimoto, 17, goes to Waipahu High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her classmates decided to do something about distracted walking.

They did research. They met with city leaders. And in 2017, Honolulu passed a law. The law made it illegal to cross the street while looking at a phone.

Now other cities are passing similar laws. Should your city be one of them?

You’re walking home when your phone buzzes. You take a look. Your friend just liked your selfie on Instagram. You’re reading the comments when—

SCREECH! A car slams on its brakes. You have walked into a busy crosswalk.

Hopefully, this has not happened to you. But walking while using a phone (called distracted walking) has become very common. And it’s dangerous. Between 2000 and 2011, it caused more than 11,000 injuries in the U.S.

Taylor Fujimoto, 17, lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her classmates decided to do something about distracted walking.

They did research. They met with city leaders. And in 2017, Honolulu made it illegal to cross the street while looking at a phone.

Now other cities are doing the same. Should your city be one of them?

You’re walking home when your phone buzzes. You look down to see that your friend just liked your selfie on Instagram. You’re scrolling through the comments when—

SCREECH! A car slams on its brakes. You’ve wandered into a busy crosswalk.

Hopefully, you’ve never experienced anything like this. But walking while using a phone—or distracted walking—has become very common, and it’s incredibly dangerous. Between 2000 and 2011, distracted walking caused more than 11,000 injuries in the U.S.

Taylor Fujimoto, 17, attends Waipahu High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her classmates decided to do something about distracted walking.

The teens did research and met with city officials—and in 2017, Honolulu passed a law that made it illegal to cross the street while looking at a phone.

Now other cities are passing similar laws. Should your city be one of them?

A Big Deal?

Distracted walking may not seem like a big deal. After all, you’re just looking at your phone for a second, right? You may think you’re able to see what is going on around you.

But scientists have done studies that prove that’s not true. Our brains can’t pay attention to our phones and our surroundings at the same time. That’s why people who are texting and walking are four times more likely to do something dangerous—like cross the street without looking.

Distracted walking may not seem like a big deal. After all, you’re just looking at your phone for a second, right? You might think you can see what’s going on around you.

But studies show that’s not true. We can’t focus on our phones and our surroundings at the same time. People who are texting and walking are four times more likely to do something dangerous, like cross the street without looking.

Distracted walking may not seem like a major problem. After all, you’re just looking at your phone for a second, right? You may think you’re fully aware of what’s going on around you.

But scientists have conducted studies that prove that’s not true. Our brains can’t pay attention to our phones and our surroundings at the same time. That’s why people who are texting and walking are four times more likely to do something dangerous—like cross the street without looking.

Common Sense

Laurentiu Garofeanu/Barcoft Media via Getty Images

Some people say that passing laws against distracted walking goes too far. But people who support these laws often use seat belts as an example. Many people didn’t wear seat belts until laws were passed that made it illegal to drive without them. These laws have saved lives. The same could be true for texting and walking. People won’t stop until there is a law that says they have to.

Still, there are other ways to deal with distracted walking. A group in New Jersey is working on an app to help. It would warn you when you get to a crosswalk. And in London, England, some lampposts have been padded. This protects people who run into them.

There may not be a law against distracted walking in your town. But it’s important to protect yourself. If you’re walking and your phone buzzes, ignore it. Don’t look until you get to where you’re going. Is a text really worth risking your safety?

Some people say we don’t need laws against distracted walking. But people who support these laws use seat belts as an example. Many people didn’t wear seat belts until laws said they had to. These laws have saved lives. The same could be true for texting and walking: It will take a law to make people stop.

Still, there are other ways to deal with the problem. A group in New Jersey is working on an app to help. It would warn you when you reach a crosswalk. And in London, England, some lampposts are padded. This protects people who run into them.

Your town might not have a law against texting and walking. But you should still be careful. If you’re walking and your phone buzzes, ignore it. You can look at it later. Does a text really matter more than your safety?

Some people say that passing laws against distracted walking goes too far. But people who support these laws often use seat belts as an example. Many people didn’t wear seat belts until laws were passed that made it illegal to drive without them. These laws have saved lives. The same could be true for texting and walking—people won’t stop until they’re required to by law.

Still, there are other ways to address the problem of distracted walking. A group in New Jersey is developing an app that would warn you when you reach a crosswalk. And in London, England, some lampposts have been padded to prevent injuries in case people run into them while texting.

Whether your town has outlawed distracted walking or not, it’s important to protect yourself. If you’re walking and your phone buzzes, don’t look until you reach your destination. Is a text really worth risking your safety?