Right now the police are handing out " jay-walking " fines in the Sydney CBD. That law has been on the statute books for yonks - but mainly unenforced and the cops are under orders to launch a blitz to try and reduce a recent spate of traffic deaths.
Since the start of 2014 twenty-one pedestrians have died in city street accidents - thirteen more than in the same period last year. Six cyclists have been killed and pressure is mounting to force a 40 kph speed limit within the CBD precinct.
What seems to have gone un-noticed is when the " herd instinct " kicks in humans adopt to new technology in an unstoppable manner. Laws designed to regulate the way we live are simply ignored, and we have practical examples before our eyes wherever we look.
The need for entertainment and news is provided by Smartphones. Vast numbers of pedestrians have their eyed glued to that small screen or have ear plugs conveying music at the same time as they are crossing roads or threading through traffic. Despite draconian laws and heavy fines, using a phone while driving a car has been only slightly abated. Cheap technology exists to make phone use in cars legal - but many choose to simply ignore that law.
We deplore the steady toll of people rock fishing who drown when a larger than usual wave sweeps them into the sea. In the vast majority of cases, they are not wearing a cheap life jacket that would save their lives, and no amount of pleading sees any improvement. Humans seem to have an in-built resistance to any form of authority - telling them what to do !
Persistence pays off in some cases. The vast majority of car users now fasten seat belts while driving and that is because of relentless police pressure. The number of people who drink and drive has been steadily diminishing - for the same reason. The motivation to obey comes from the " fear factor ". The penalty for getting caught involves the loss of a large sum of money - and more importantly - loss of the legal ability to drive a car.
So - how do we get the hordes using Sydney streets to take their eyes off that small screen and listen to traffic noises to reduce fatal accidents ? This police jay-walking blitz will have a temporary effect but we need something to create a long term change in people's attitudes to safety.
That will probably only be achieved by using the same marvels of technology that created the problem in the first place. It is technically possible to create " dead zones " where reception ceases on the carriageway of city streets. The device works perfectly on city footpaths - cuts out the moment the user steps off the kerb - and returns to service on the other side of the road.
A harsh solution that would also impose a penalty on passengers in cars legally using a mobile phone and on cars equipped with hands free phone facilities, but it all depends on what price we are prepared to pay to achieve pedestrian safety.
That solution is technically possible - but socially unacceptable. It seems that we are doomed to each innovation from the world of science delivering mixed blessings. That old adage about " Walking a horse to water - but being unable to make it drink " - comes to mind !
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