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There is literally nothing worse than walking behind someone who’s texting in New York City, and it only ever seems to happen when you really need to get somewhere. Like, fam. Do you really need to slow down that much to scroll through your email? And why not just—I don’t know—step aside while you do it?

Perhaps it’s time to take a few notes from Honolulu, Hawaii, where a bill was just signed into law that will make “distracted walking” illegal beginning in October. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to make such a move, and you know what? We’re kind of all for it.

We hold the unfortunate distinction of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the country,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters. As USA Today reported last year, there was a 10 percent hike in pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2015, which was “the largest year-to-year increase in such deaths in four decades.”

Once the law takes effect, “first-time violators will be fined $15-$35; second-time violators within the same year will be on the hook for $35-$75; and those who get ticketed a third time will be charged $75-$99,” according to NPR.

Kudos to Honolulu for keeping pedestrians safe…which city will follow their lead? (What’s good, Mr. de Blasio?)

SOURCE: Honolulu.Gov, The Outline, USA Today, NPR

SEE ALSO:

Man Who Sued Date For Texting During Movie Gets His Money Back

US Urges Ban On Texting, Talking While Driving

Honolulu’s Texting-While-Walking Ban Might Be The Best Idea We’ve Heard This Week  was originally published on newsone.com