No phone ban for pedestrians

PEDESTRIANS can continue to use their phones and listen to their MP3 players while crossing the road, despite a plea by a senator for them to be banned as they were a danger to themselves and other road users.

The Interior Ministry has replied saying that although 500 pedestrians were killed in France in 2012 and nearly 12,000 were injured, it does not intend to impose any ban, especially as it would be “very difficult to enforce”.

Senator Pierre Bernard-Reymond had asked Interior Minister Manuel Valls to look at such a ban as he said pedestrians were not paying attention to what they were doing if checking their phones, writing texts or had their music turned up so loud they could not hear traffic.

The ministry said pedestrians should know to take care when crossing the road and that it would increase warnings of the dangers, particularly in schools and the classes for the Attestation scolaire de sécurité routière certificate.

Drivers who use their phone while driving, to phone or send or receive texts, face a €135 fine and three points off their driving licence.
Photo: Ed Yourdon/CC