If you are like I am and enjoy a daily walk while listening to programming and/or music on a smartphone, then you will want to pay close attention to this:

New Jersey Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, has introduced legislation which would fine and possibly jail pedestrians caught using their phones without hands-free devices while walking on public sidewalks and along roadways.I don't send emails or texts while walking, but I will take incoming calls, and I admit that this can be distracting. If it is a really important call, I will stop walking and get off the roadway.Lampitt's bill calls for a fine of up to $50 and 15 days in jail for pedestrians convicted of violating the proposed law. These violators, then, would face the same penalties as jaywalkers do in New Jersey.Other states have attempted to pass a similar law, but, so far, none has succeeded. Legislative leaders in Trenton are skeptical that the proposal will get much traction either, but Lampitt has some compelling statistics for her colleagues.A report released in 2015 by the Governors' Highway Safety Association found an increase in pedestrian fatalities and pointed to texting while walking as part of the cause.Since 2009, pedestrian fatalities have increased by 15 percent nationwide to 4,735 in 2013, the report said. Nearly 2 million pedestrian injuries were related to smartphone use, the report also found."I see it every single day," Lampitt said. She hopes her legislation might make pedestrians think twice about what they are doing. But even Lampitt acknowledged she might have a tough time getting her bill passed.Another study, from Safe Kids Worldwide, a Washington-based nonprofit, found that 40 percent of teens said they had been hit or nearly hit by a vehicle, bike or motorcycle while walking. The survey of more than 1,000 children between ages 13 and 18 found that 47 percent of those who said they were hit or almost hit were listening to music, 20 percent were talking on the phone, and 18 percent were texting.At the same time, all kinds of traffic fatalities have fallen by 3.4 percent. Pedestrian deaths now make up 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and about one pedestrian death occurs every two hours in the United States.Distracted walkers are more likely to ignore traffic lights or fail to look for oncoming traffic before crossing the street, the data show.Major cities are starting programs aimed specifically at pedestrian safety. Philadelphia last year began a "Road Safety Is Not Rocket Science" program that urged pedestrians to look up and put down their phones. City officials also are running a public-safety campaign that urges pedestrians to "put the phone down." In Florida, a similar public-service message reminds pedestrians to be "Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow."Alcohol is still a big key to the problem; it's involved in 49 percent of pedestrian deaths on either the part of driver or pedestrians. Cities are posting slower speed limits, installing wider sidewalks and street medians and taking other safety measures to reduce pedestrian deaths. At the same time, there's a movement to hold pedestrians accountable for their irresponsible behavior, too.A recent report from the Governors' Highway Safety Association cites growing research that suggests pedestrians aren't yet doing their part. At 20 high-risk intersections, 26 percent of pedestrians wore headphones, 15 percent were texting and 13 percent talked on the phone, according to a 2013 University of Georgia study. More recently, a William Paterson University study in New Jersey issued in 2015 found more than 25 percent of New York City pedestrians were distracted by either their phones or headphones. Half of the pedestrians who crossed against a "Don't Walk" signal were said to be distracted.With smartphones capturing so much of pedestrians' attention these days, at least one automaker has looked at innovative ways to turn the hand-held distractions into potential solutions. Honda has experimented with a short-range communication system that detects pedestrians and their phones, even if they're obscured behind parked cars, and flashes a warning on the dashboard. If the driver takes no action, and the pedestrian steps in front of the car, emergency braking deploys.Thesolution, as with so many things in life, is common sense. Those of us who assume the role of pedestrian must also assume responsibility for our actions.Bruce Frassinelli |

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