Have you ever caught yourself not paying attention to your surroundings because of an electronic device? Mayor of Honolulu, Kirk Caldwell, has signed a bill to make it illegal to look down at an electronic device while crossing the street or highway. The ban is aimed at making the streets safer and ensuring that pedestrians pay more attention to their surroundings. A first violation gets you a $15 to $35 fine. It’s a $35 to $75 fine for a second offense. A third offense could cost you as much as $99.
This is something that was aimed at public safety.
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Questions:
1: Why do you think this law is likely or unlikely to take off as a law in cities across the United States?
2: Choosing to walk and text in the street at the same time seems like a personal choice – if a person wants to be dumb and risk getting hit by a car, that could be up to them, right? Give two examples of laws that are similar to this one, explain what makes them similar, and then explain why you think those restrictions became laws in the first place.
3: Why do you think this is a reasonable or unreasonable law in general (meaning why you think it is a good or bad thing that this law exists)?
Be sure to provide full explanations for your answers. For more details, you can read the article this piece was sourced from here:
https://www.cnet.com/news/honolulu-bans-texting-while-crossing-road/#ftag=CAD590a51e
My favorite part of the fieldtrip to the courthouse is when I got to play the part of Ron. I got to go on the witness chair and speaking. I helped Potter to be not guilty. Thank you for the great opportunity.
Thank you for letting us experience court for the first time. It was the best experience ever, thank you for everything. You really made me think about being a judge. Thank you
-Mina L [ Twitchell Elementary - Grade 5]
Thank you for letting us watch the civil case! It was cool because it was a real case and not one played out. I had a lot of fun watching the other kids act out a session. Thank you for your time.
- Kaylie [Hewetson Elementary - Grade 5]
