A ban on pedestrians looking at mobile phones or texting while crossing the street will take effect in Hawaii's largest city in late October, as Honolulu becomes the first major U.S. city to pass legislation aimed at reducing injuries and deaths from "distracted walking," reports Reuters.

"The ban comes as cities around the world grapple with how to protect phone-obsessed 'smartphone zombies' from injuring themselves by stepping into traffic or running into stationary objects.

Starting Oct. 25, Honolulu pedestrians can be fined between $15 and $99, depending on the number of times police catch them looking at a phone or tablet device as they cross the street, Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters gathered near one of the city's busiest downtown intersections on Thursday.

'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 county,' Caldwell said. Honolulu data on distracted-walking incidents was not immediately available.

Caldwell signed the legislation on Thursday after it was passed in a 7-2 vote by the city council earlier this month, city records show."

While New Jersey has been fining their citizens with tickets for texting while walking, it's only been recently that Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt proposed an official bill to stop distracted walking in the state of New Jersey. Violators of this measure would be subject to a fine of up to $50 or even a 15 day stay in jail for repeated offenses. The proposal would decrease the danger of pedestrians to themselves and others, who just can't seem to concentrate on two things at once, reports the Viral Pirate.

You can also check out a USA Today report providing some recent statistics on the matter. Will Apple come to the rescue and create an app for that? Only time will tell. But until such time, iPhone owners should be aware that more cities are working on new laws that could hurt their wallet if their caught texting while in a crosswalk. 

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