When it comes to bad behavior, we tend to focus on distracted driving, and, without a doubt, this continues to be troubling, because it endangers everyone else on the road who’s in that driver’s proximity.

When caught, these distracted drivers in Pennsylvania face fines for not paying attention behind the wheel, but we don’t pay much attention to distracted pedestrians. Given the growing popularity of walking for exercise or forgoing a vehicle for a short shopping trip, distracted walkers are becoming a concern to law enforcement officials. Now, they have even caught the attention of legislators.

State Rep. Karen Boback, a Republican whose district includes parts of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, says she is going to introduce legislation that provides penalties for walkers who are inattentive while crossing a street or highway.

In a memo to legislative colleagues seeking co-sponsors for her bill, Boback said that distracting walking is a “very real and serious issue.”

Boback is most concerned with pedestrians who are inattentive because they are engrossed in conversations on their cellphones or are listening to music or other programming.

“Technology has invaded our life, and, as a result, people have stopped paying attention to their surroundings,” Boback wrote.

Boback has not yet indicated the amount of the fine she is planning to incorporate into her proposed legislation.

According to a Governors Highway Safety Association report, texting while walking has taken on a key role in pedestrian deaths in recent years as communication devices have become more mobile, compact and numerous.

Intersections are especially problematic, because pedestrians are sometimes oblivious to oncoming traffic because they are so absorbed with their cellphone conversations, the report said. This presents a danger both to them and to motorists who are forced to slam on their brakes at a moment’s notice.

A report just out shows that drivers hit and killed 145 pedestrians in Pennsylvania in 2020. Although that number puts us as 15th highest in the nation, it is 6% fewer than in 2019. Given that there were many more walkers on the road last year became of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials believe that this result was better than anticipated.

Although final figures for last year are not official, the number of pedestrian fatalities nationally is projected to be 6,721, compared to 6,412 in 2019.

As one who does daily walks, I try to abide by the recommendations of the National Safety Council and the state Department of Transportation.

PennDOT has taken a proactive approach to pedestrian safety by making a number of safety videos available for parents and children. Penn-DOT also distributes safety cards at various events.

These are among PennDOT recommendations for pedestrians :

• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. If no sidewalk is available, you must walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic. That’s the law. Many are shocked that this is a law, because I have never seen a person ticketed for walking on the wrong side of a road or street, and I encounter lots of them every day. A state police trooper friend who covers my township told me in confidence that if he and his colleagues were to start writing tickets for things like jaywalking they would come under intense criticism for not being more concerned about much more serious crimes.

• Don’t assume drivers see you. Try to make eye contact with drivers as they approach.

• Motorists must yield to pedestrians crossing the street at marked and unmarked intersections, but the pedestrian must either be within the crosswalk or indicate an intent to cross.

• After dark, wear reflective clothing to make yourself most visible at all times. Also, carry a flashlight for extra visibility.

• Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections whenever possible.

• Keep alert at all times. The best practice is to put away electronic devices to remain focused on the road and the oncoming traffic.

I am guilty of the last one. Although I do not use my cellphone to make or receive calls while I am walking, I do listen to National Public Radio programming on my smartphone, and, admittedly, I sometimes get so engrossed in a news story that I find myself no longer paying attention to what’s coming my way.

I promise to clean up my act, and I hope that you’ll promise to do the same.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.