Fort Lee, New Jersey outlaws texting and walking

Ever text and walk at the same time, only to look up at the last possible moment before you run into someone else on the sidewalk (or worse, are nearly hit by a car)? In Fort Lee, New Jersey, doing so could now get you a citation with an $85 fee slapped on it if a police officer catches you in the act. Via ABC News:

“'It’s a big distraction. Pedestrians aren’t watching where they are going and they are not aware,' said Thomas Ripoli, chief of the Fort Lee Police Department.

Ripoli said the borough, which is home to approximately 35,000 residents, has suffered three fatal pedestrian-involved accidents this year. He hopes his crackdown on people who display dangerous behavior while walking will make his town safer, but not everyone is on board with the idea of issuing $85 tickets.

Officers handed out pamphlets during a short grace period in March before they began aggressively going after 'dangerous walkers.' More than 117 tickets have been issued, according to the New Jersey Record.

Two professors at Stony Brook University in New York conducted a study on walking and texting. They found texters are 60 percent more likely to veer off line than non-texters.”

What do you think? Would a law stop you from texting and walking? Let us know in the comments.