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Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by interfixus on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @10:16AM (#15550282)
You are potentially hurting other cyclists, other pedestrians, and very much the future well-being of any motorist who happens to run you over while running a green light.
Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by jaxbot on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @03:25PM (#15553282)
I bike in NYC and occasionally deal with people stepping into the street while looking at their phones and not checking for cross traffic because they can't hear me. It's annoying, but doesn't take much to just brake and dodge them. I wish they would've looked, but the streets are for the people in the city. It's not a freeway.

I do fear there will be an uptick in problems with EVs, though, that don't have pedestrian warning sounds added and people not looking because they hear nothing and expect to hear an engine (experienced this a little bit in parking lots during my time driving a Leaf). But we'll see what happens I guess.

Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by to3m on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @01:28PM (#15552095)
Why is the person in the car not looking where they are going? It's people driving cars who are responsible for not running people over. The green light is there to tell traffic it's OK to proceed if appropriate. It doesn't make it OK to just run people over.
Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by dheera on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @01:36PM (#15552169)
Well yes but it's also the responsibility of the pedestrian to demonstrate intent to cross the road if they do in fact intend to cross.

A lot of the time people are looking at their phones, and look as if they aren't intending to cross, and in the midst of looking at a screen, suddenly out of nowhere, step into the street and start crossing, eyes still glued to the screen.

Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by p49k on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @01:51PM (#15552324)
There is absolutely no excuse for a car to hit a pedestrian in or at the end of a crosswalk, regardless of “signaling”. The car should be driving slow enough to make this impossible, and for the worst-case scenario to be the pedestrian walking into the car.
Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by toomuchtodo on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @01:36PM (#15552164)
The person in the car should be looking where they're going, but they expect a clear roadway, not random pedestrians stepping out without paying attention.

In several states, if you're above a certain age (to exempt children) and walk into the path of a moving vehicle outside of a crosswalk, fault will be assigned to you and the driver in equal amounts (unless the driver is speeding, in which case they accumulate more fault).

Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by Symbiote on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @02:01PM (#15552441)
The driver should certainly not expect a clear roadway.

At least in Britain, roughly the first driving lesson begins with looking all around for other road users. Speed must be reduced if there's an increased risk of inattentive pedestrians, such as near parked cars around a school or houses.

Re:Honolulu fines pedestrians for viewing phone while crossi... by sheepdestroyer on Wednesday October 25, 2017 @11:04PM (#15556041)
Where I come from (France) and where I live now (Japan) the laws are quite similar in that, as a driver, you have to be "in control" of your vehicle at any time. Meaning that you need to be able to stop it to avoid any unexpected event. Quite sensible if you ask me.