Yamato

Main article: Japan

2020: A penalty for use of smartphones when walking

At the beginning of July, 2020 Yamato became the first Japanese city in which to pedestrians prohibit to use smartphones on the run in public places.

In January, 2020 the city municipality tested in two control points. Researchers estimated behavior about 6000 pedestrians and found out that about 12% of people use smartphones during walking. It is considered that these people can constitute danger both to themselves, and to people around. After the poll the draft resolution was submitted to a city meeting.

Japan prohibited to use phones during walking

The draft resolution was approved by a city meeting in the Prefecture of Kanagava, and new rules became effective on July 1. Representatives of city meeting just hoped that thanks to new rules residents will understand: "smartphones cannot be used on the run". In case of violation identification the police can oshtravovat the citizen or make to it a verbal warning.

According to the resolution, citizens should abstain from use of smartphones during walking in public places and not use phones in those places where they can obstruct the traffic of other pedestrians or vehicles. The people using the smartphone when walking will be warned about violation by the staff of services who should monitor execution of traffic regulations and prohibition about smoking on streets. However, as the Japanese edition Asahi Shimbun reports, some inhabitants of Yamato doubt that the resolution will be able to change a situation to the best in the absence of punishment.

This problem is tried to be solved not only in Japan: in 2019 in the city of Ilsan in South Korea set flickering signs at crosswalks, and a number of the German cities installed land traffic lights on sidewalks.^[1]

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