Texting while driving is against the law in 47 states. But what about texting while walking? A 2018 study reported that more than 2, 500 people in the US ended up in hospitals resulting from using a mobile device (设备) while walking.
Hawaii passed a law making it illegal (违法的) to text or look down at a mobile device while crossing the street, it is the first state with a law like this. Do people think more places should accept such a law? The LA Times did a survey. Here are some replies they received.
Rena Jose, 26, New York Which is more important, texting or safety? If you are looking at your phone while walking, you might not see a car come or traffic lights turn red. It can be very dangerous. For example, in Japan, one person fell into a lake and another got her leg stuck in a hole, because both had their mind on their phone. We should make texting while crossing the street illegal in more cities. |
Andy Selvam, 55, California People do many things that cause injury to themselves but are not illegal, such as climbing mountains, driving cars, swimming and so on. People might get hurt from texting and walking if they're not paying attention. But 1 still think they should have a choice. |
Bob Madigan, 45, Oregon As humans, we can make our own decisions. I'm not saying it's safe, but we don't need the government to babysit us. If we want to learn to make smart decisions, the government needs to stop telling us what to do. After all, this is a free country. |
Andrew Black, 34, Alaska This law is a good idea—compare this protection with seat belts. If this law is passed all over the USA, people will be worried. But is there really a way to please everyone? This would not be for fun. It would be safe and good for all Americans. |
