Texting while crossing a road - should you be fined?

Biggins

Something to dwell over - should a person be fined for texting while crossing a road?

...someone can be fined for ‘texting' or playing with their mobile phones while crossing the road in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Police in the town say doing this constitutes jaywalking, and have so far issued 117 tickets to residents crossing the street while glued to their mobiles, resulting in fines of 68.17€

Jaywalking is defined as recklessly crossing the road, and in the US is a traffic safety violation.

According to Fort Lee local newspaper The Record, the move shouldn't come as a huge surprise to residents. It said that already three pedestrians had died in the city this year and "pedestrians contributed to 20 per cent of all traffic fatalities in New Jersey in 2010".
So following a short educational and warning period about the dangers of being distracted when using a mobile phone and walking across the road, the authorities upped the ante. To get their message cross they have begun issuing on-the-spot tickets for people using their phone when crossing the street.

Source: http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/2182615/jersey-town-issues-fines-texting-crossing-road

I have to agree with the fines.
The texter is not only putting themselves at risk but also others, besides the risk to vehicles and emotional pain/stress to others involved.

Anyone agree?

Diego Maradona

Biggins wrote: »

Something to dwell over - should a person be fined for texting while crossing a road?

No, that's just stupid TBH.

af_thefragile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXMjaxtE6LI

Oh and tick ALL the boxes!!!

mikemac1

Start with the unfit mothers who push their childs buggy onto the road to "test" the traffic.

I see it almost every day

Fromthetrees

Yeah lets fine people who don't use a tissue when they sneeze, I don't want to catch your cold. :rolleyes:
Yeah and lets start to fine people who don't tuck their shoe laces into their shoes, I hate having to see other peoples shoe laces, yucky.
This is fun, that's just a few ideas of how we can fine people, anyone able to come up with more?

Abi

If you can't stop texting or dicking around with your phone long enough to cross a road then you deserve to be fined / hit.

_LilyRose_

If someone crosses the road without looking because they're texting and gets knocked down it's their own fault. And the driver should have been able to stop in time.

If all road users treated the roads properly, there would be far less accidents I think.

Pushtrak

Fromthetrees wrote: »

Yeah lets fine people who don't use a tissue when they sneeze, I don't want to catch your cold. :rolleyes:
Yeah and lets start to fine people who don't tuck their shoe laces into their shoes, I hate having to see other peoples shoe laces, yucky.
This is fun, that's just a few ideas of how we can fine people, anyone able to come up with more?

Yeah, and lets fine people who use sarcasm on forums...







Crap.

Abi

mikemac1 wrote: »

Start with the unfit mothers who push their childs buggy onto the road to "test" the traffic.

I see it almost every day

I can't believe how much this happens. I see people cross the road without looking all the time, but I can't believe the utter carelessness of women crossing the road without looking while pushing a buggy.

It's the fúcking kid that gets hit first, not even the daft bint that is pushing it.

FloatingVoter

Anyone proved to be knocked down while texting is roadkill.
Scratch that, cats and dogs are not aware of the existence of cars or the damage they can do.
Use texting roadkills as compost and nominate them for a Darwin award. Perhaps salvage the mobile and recycle it.

Mr Benevolent

It's interesting to note how many drivers don't know that in Ireland pedestrians have absolute right of way over everything else. Technically pedestrians can step out into the road and cars should stop immediately. So fines against people who cross the road while texting couldn't work as a driver who hits a pedestrian is automatically at fault.

Irish Guitarist

Only if people that cross the road without texting get a reward. €100 for every road you cross maybe.

BIG BAD JOHN

mikemac1 wrote: »

Start with the unfit mothers who push their childs buggy onto the road to "test" the traffic.

I see it almost every day

I was that soldier as a child though it was an aunt rather than my Mum who diced with death in this manner.

The Big Red Button

mikemac1 wrote: »

Start with the unfit mothers who push their childs buggy onto the road to "test" the traffic.

I see it almost every day

I've seen this happen twice where an accident occurred.

The first time was when I was a young teenager, maybe 13-14. The baby in the buggy died in hospital, several weeks later, as a result of the accident. The mother's four-year-old son was also hit, and his leg was badly broken - my friend and I sat and talked with him after the accident until the second ambulance came (the first one that arrived was busy with his baby sister, the buggy had been thrown quite a far distance from where the accident had happened.) Something that really bothered me at the time was how few drivers left their cars to come to the little boy, they were happy to leave him there crying on his own - there was torrential rain at the time, but that's no bloody excuse! :mad:

The second time was just a couple of weeks ago, where I was in traffic, and a father walked out with a buggy and his toddler, right into the path of an oncoming car. The lights had just changed, so the car wasn't going very fast. I don't think the buggy was hit - the toddler and the father were, though, and although the toddler was (obviously!) very upset and bawling crying, he seemed to be OK.

It's absolutely disgusting carry-on. If you can be so selfish, that you'll risk your baby's life just so that you might be able to get to where you're going a little bit faster, well it's pretty clear that you just don't care about them all that much.

southcentralts

Instead of a fine how about a "there is a car coming, Idiot" app for the phone, people stuck in their phones all the time have an addiction. Addiction to technology requires technological solution.

Abi

Confab wrote: »

It's interesting to note how many drivers don't know that in Ireland pedestrians have absolute right of way over everything else. Technically pedestrians can step out into the road and cars should stop immediately. So fines against people who cross the road while texting couldn't work as a driver who hits a pedestrian is automatically at fault.

Rules need to be changed. I can think of a few instances where I'd be backing up traffic at lights to turn right. One area in particular is a road regularly crossed so pedestrians may make their way to the local schools.

No pedestrian crossing = I've the right of way imo. Rules or not, I'd rather not hold up heavy traffic behind me. If the pedestrian can't hold on till I make a swift turn, then we're looking at either blissfully ignorant person or an ignorant cúnt.

RaRaRasputin

No, they shouldn't be fined.
This way the idiots will be encouraged and more of them will be run over. Natural selection always wins in the end.

Ficheall

If I'm in the middle of writing a text, I'll check that there's no traffic coming and continue texting as I cross the road. If there's traffic on the road I wait until I've crossed the road to resume texting. Would I be fined?

I'd sooner fine the people who text while driving...

BigBabyTaylor

No.

Sure it would be just as distracting to be reading a book, changing song on I-pod, even staring into space. Stupid decision in my opinion

Fighting Irish

Too much effort is being made to prevent stupid people from doing stupid things

cartell_best

This subject is just mad out! someone is texing without paying attention to whats going on! all of a sudden they test impact from the latest volvo! in fairness...its not just the driver of 1.5 tonnes of metal that needs to realise what has just happened!

gurramok

RaRaRasputin wrote: »

No, they shouldn't be fined.
This way the idiots will be encouraged and more of them will be run over. Natural selection always wins in the end.

Tell me about it :mad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xruseseP67k

Mint Sauce

Whilst its a terribly stupid thing to do, I would rather the Guards dealt with the increase in people using mobiles whilst driving that I have noticed first.

PizzamanIRL

How can you tell if they're texting?

Also, no.

Mint Sauce

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

How can you tell if they're texting?

Also, no.

Using a mobile whilst driving includs just have the thing in your hand, I'd imagine they would come up with something similar for this.

The King of Moo

Definitely. It's easy to say let them get killed by a car, but they could also cause an accident by making a driver swerve to avoid them.

And if they walked out in front of a cyclist they might cause serious injuries for both parties.

As a cyclist, I get frustrated enough by people, pretty much every day, swerving suddenly from the footpath onto the road without looking. Sometimes they'll even see me coming and still cross anyway. Sure it's only a bike, it wouldn't hurt that much!
People with no excuse for being unaware of their surroundings are bad enough, so I'm definitely against texting while crossing.

laoch na mona

I can picture it now a garda who is on the phone while driving having to pull over and fine some one for texting oh the irony
that said its a good idea but only if you fine drivers who ignore pedestrian crossings

Jester252

yes if only you can pay the fine via texting

the groutch

the sooner jaywalking is made an offence over here the better, if drivers have to abide by the rules of the road, why shouldnt a pedestrian?

Oranage2

But i can text and walk across a road responsibly -why should i have to suffer.

Fromthetrees

Pushtrak wrote: »

Yeah, and lets fine people who use sarcasm on forums...







Crap.

:rolleyes:

I was being facetious. Are we going to legislate against everything that anyone can think up now?
Trying to ban smoking in parks and on beaches. It's all just getting ridiculous at this stage.
One has to multiply thoughts to the point where there aren't enough policemen to control them.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Yeah, good money spinner alright.
Instead of stealth taxes they should bring in a load of new laws with on-the-spot fines, that way they can have various wardens going around watching people... you just have to make enough laws to keep them busy. It's for our own good you see.

girl in the striped socks

Do we not have enough rules to live by already?
Pedestrians walking out in front of me when driving makes me mad, but the same people will still stumble out on the road without thinking whether they are texting or day dreaming.

I'd be more interested if they policed people walking/jogging/cycling on roads without any consideration for other road users. The amount of people I pass on a daily basis walking/ jogging two or three abreast that refuse to move in for oncoming traffic is unbelievable. I don't expect them to jump into the ditch, but just maybe walk/ jog in a single line when there is an oncoming car instead of glaring at motorists like they own the fcuking road. I often wonder would their nasty glares save them if there was a lunatic speeding around the corner.
A little bit of common sense goes a long way. Unfortunately not everyone has it.

johngalway

I feel cheated by this inferior poll, I wanted to shove Atari Jaguar under a bus.

cloud493

I seen a woman the other day while waiting for a bus, she was pushing a pram into the busy road, and trying to take out a smoke and light it at the same time. She dropped the smoke, and let go of the pram, while trying to pick it up :eek:

daenerysstormborn3

Abi wrote: »

I can't believe how much this happens. I see people cross the road without looking all the time, but I can't believe the utter carelessness of women crossing the road without looking while pushing a buggy.

It's the fúcking kid that gets hit first, not even the daft bint that is pushing it.

It's the same as people who drive like utter lunatics with 3 kids in the back and a "baby on board" sticker stuck on the back window. Everybody else is just supposed to be aware that they are a parent and act accordingly, i.e. stay out of their way.

Biggins

Oranage2 wrote: »

But i can text and walk across a road responsibly - why should i have to suffer?

Well you won't I presume till a vehicle turns a sudden corner and hits you I suppose!

languagenerd

I don't think we should start with texting, tbh, there are a lot of people who cross road very dangerously without a mobile phone and I think these cause more accidents!

I'd rather some sort of more general legislation along the lines of "dangerously crossing a road" and/or "causing an accident". Texting while crossing could be included in this definition (if it was indeed dangerous, because some people can text without looking at the phone) without being a separate thing, because as others have pointed out, there are lots of other distractions and we could never prohibit all of them.

There's a particular corner on the quays coming onto O'Connell Bridge in Dublin that I hate crossing, and I have no idea how more accidents don't happen there. The lights for the cars going straight ahead go red for a few seconds, then the cars coming around the corner (going left) start moving. But, without fail, people always start crossing between the two sets of cars (a space of about 5 seconds) and then there's a bus trying to pass through a crowd of pedestrians who keep crossing. All the while the pedestrian lights are counting down from 40sec and everyone ignores them. I mightn't be explaining it very well, but if anyone else knows the corner, I'm sure they'll have seen this too. I've seen several near-misses there every day!

So I think the above people ^, as well as people who dash across several lanes of moving traffic or people who just strut out and expect cars to stop should be fined, whether they have a phone or not! It's ok for everyone to say that it's their own fault if they get hit, but they could cause someone else serious injury by doing it (if the driver swerved, etc.)

christmas2012

I think it is dangerous,to text while crossing a street,not a good idea,you should always pay full attention when crossing a street with big ton metal moving objects with wheels..
I think driving while on the phone or god horror texting is far far worse though as you could definately get killed or in a horriffic collision..

ToddyDoody

Yes and like most petty finable offenses, it'll work best if people can self-appoint themselves to the post of watchdog.

Galwayguy35

People that annoy me more are the ones who walk across the lights when they are turned green for the traffic to move. It happens everyday as I am coming from work. And you beep the horn to warn them of the danger and you get the "finger" from them. Morons.:mad:

Biggins

Biggins wrote: »

Well you won't I presume till a vehicle turns a sudden corner and hits you I suppose!

Don't see how texting would change the situation.. What way do cross the road?

It someone is retarded enough to cross the road without looking because they're on their phone, then they definitely won't remember this law either. So it's a money making exercise.
For the rest of us who can look left and right, let us do whatever the we want while we cross the empty road. If you fine phone use, then fine every single distracting thing you could possibly do while crossing the road. Sneeze? 60e. Have a conversation? 60e. Mind your dog on a leash? 60e.

As I say, the people who get hit because of their phone are too damn stupid to stop becsuse of a new law. I can use my phone absolutely fine so leave me to it.

DonkeyStyle \o/

I wouldn't take money off people so lightly, you don't know their circumstances or who else is going to suffer at the lack of it. It's inequitable; one man's beer money keeps another man's light & heating on for the month.
I'd expect it from America, but I don't think we should be taking any leads from them.

cloud493

cloud493 wrote: »

I seen a woman the other day while waiting for a bus, she was pushing a pram into the busy road, and trying to take out a smoke and light it at the same time. She dropped the smoke, and let go of the pram, while trying to pick it up :eek:

She may be great in the sack though.:pac:
Seriously though, i have seen that and it makes me question the hole "Mother knows best" thing.

Viper_JB

They should offer incentives for motorists to run people over who are texting while crossing the roads....that'll sort them out.

starlit

I don't know if someone should be fined for this but since motorists could be fined for being on their phone maybe even texting when driving then maybe there should be some kind of fine/contribution for doing so.

Its not safe texting while driving so guess the same should apply for when crossing the road as a pedestrian. I think those on their ipods should be fined rather than those texting though that's more of a safety hazard in my opinion as you might get a false sense its ok to cross the road though you can see but can you hear a car suddenly come up near you?? I think a fine should apply to pedestrians and cyclists especially cyclists for those on their ipods crossing the road. They need their wits about them when on the road.

Though texting crossing the road, pedestrians just need to be careful. I am always doing it myself when traffic is quiet but I try not to if a car is not far from me if crossing a pedestrian crossing or if there is heavy traffic in town and crossing in between cars.

The attitude in Ireland is that pedestrians are never at fault. I could be texting, on rollerblades and listening to music while smoking and dragging 3 kids behind me across the road 50 feet away from a pedestrian crossing. If i get hit by a car, its always the drivers fault.

Lenn Brennan

some pyjama wearing filth bag walked out in front of me in the car on parnell st. today, I had to jam on, she didn't even look up from her phone

Lenn Brennan

Lenn Brennan wrote: »

some pyjama wearing filth bag walked out in front of me in the car on parnell st. today, I had to jam on, she didn't even look up from her phone

Thanks for saving the life of pyjamas.

Lenn Brennan

id say the hoop on her would have left a serious dent

TommyKnocker

The sad fact is that the majorrrity do no obey the rules of the road, whether they be motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.

Motorists use phones, read papers, shave, apply makeup, eat breakfast etc while driving. The amber light now means go faster and the red light means 2 more.

Cyclists just do what ever the hell they want. Ear phones in, oblivious to what is going on around them. Ignore traffic lights. Undertake, zig zag through traffic lanes as required etc.

Pedestrians are akin to cyclists. They wallk around in a world of their own, earphones in or on their phone. Will step of the foot path without looking up. Will cross the road where ever they like, no matter the proximity of the nearest safe crossing.

The Gardai. I have see them behave in the above manner while driving in cars/motor bikes, on push bikes and while walking and ignoring what is going on around them.

We already have laws in place for the majority of the above, they are just not enforced. So I don't see the point of bringing in even more laws which will just be added to the list of laws not enforced. Start enforcing the laws we do have wold be a good start.