Sunset pol looks to crack down on texting and walking

One local pol is looking to cut down on texting and walking.

Assemblymember Felix Ortiz on Wednesday, April 11 introduced legislation to amend the state’s vehicle and traffic law to prohibit pedestrians from using portable electronic devices while crossing the street.

Banned devices would include anything with mobile data access, as well as laptops, pagers, electronic gaming systems and, of course, cellphones.

The pol cited statistics which claim texting takes away from alertness, as well as the National Safety Council’s recent determination that injuries from smartphone use have increased from roughly 500 a year in 2000 to more than 2,000 in 2011. 2017, he said, saw nearly 6,000 pedestrian deaths due to “distracted walking.”

“I see countless numbers of people texting while driving and texting while walking in the streets,” said Ortiz. “This bill will help protect and save lives.”