ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government pursuant to the 1970 Illinois Constitution, Article VII, Section 6(a); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule power, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs including the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Safety Council (NCS) distracted walking is now a "significant safety threat," with a 400% increase in unintentional cellphone related accidents and deaths from 2000-2011, and an estimated total 11,101 incidents in that time; and
WHEREAS, distracted walking poses a threat everywhere mobile electronic devices are used, but especially near roads and highways; and
WHEREAS, the NCS notes that "it is just as important to walk cell free as it is to drive cell free" and that "pedestrians and drivers using cell phones are both impaired and too mentally distracted to fully focus on their surroundings;" and
WHEREAS, in the United States, overall pedestrian deaths spiked 9% from 2015-2016 alone, rising to 5,987 which is the highest toll on American roads since 1990, according to federal data; and
WHEREAS, a report by the Governors Highway Safety Association states that the growing use of smartphone technology may now be contributing to the spike in pedestrian injuries and deaths, especially those amongst teens who are two times more likely to report crossing the street while distracted, more likely to believe it is okay to cross the street while texting or talking, and believe most people agree with that assertion; and
WHEREAS, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) people who text and walk, are nearly four times as likely to engage in at least one dangerous action, like jaywalking or not looking both ways, and take.18% more time to cross a street than undistracted pedestrians; and
WHEREAS, internationally, "distracted walking" and the i...
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