https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/honolulu-smartphone-ban/ >It may be known as the Aloha state, but you’d better think twice before you say hello on your mobile device when you’re crossing the street in Hawai’i. The capital of the island state, Honolulu, has just become the first major American city to pass legislation imposing a smartphone ban when it comes to crosswalks. Starting in late October, “distracted walking,” that caused by pedestrians with their eyes glued to their phones while crossing the street, will be subject to a fine. >The goal, of course, is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths that occur each year due to smartphone use during walking. A 2015 University of Maryland study notes that over 11,000 injuries were attributed to phone-related distraction among pedestrians in the U.S. between 200 and 2011. And now that we’re more smartphone-obsessed than ever, it is likely that this figure has only increased. Indeed, the National Safety Council has since added “distracted walking” to its annual list of the most salient risks for unintentional injuries and deaths in the United States.