Heads up: Japanese city bans using smartphones while walking, report says
Advocates of the ban hope it will make pedestrians less oblivious to their surroundings.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Yamato City installed multiple signs about the smartphone ban at its railroad station.
Japan's Yamato City is prohibiting pedestrians from using smartphones while walking around the neighborhood's public roads, squares and parks, according to a Wednesday report from NDTV. It's reportedly the first ban of its kind to be imposed in Japan.
There's reportedly no punishment in place if you don't abide by the prohibition. The ban's advocates -- both young and old -- in the suburb said they hope that the action will help highlight the dangers of being distracted by phones, according to the report.
The rule is set to go into effect next week, according to a report from The Japan Times.
Similarly to Yamato City's efforts to quell smartphone addiction and prevent pedestrians from being distracted, South Korea took some high tech steps in the same direction last year. The city of Ilsan installed a system at crosswalks that glows with colorful, flickering lights and laser beams warning people to look up and drivers to slow down.
