Pedestrians caught crossing the street while on their phone in Italy could be fined more than €75 (£65) under new regulations. The Italian Ministry of Transport has proposed a draft plan to punish distracted walkers using mobiles, laptops, tablets and digital cameras as part of a reform of its highway code, reported Italian newspaper Fanpage.it. Smartphone use is already banned while driving in Italy, with fines up to €1,000 (£856) for a first offence.According to Fanpage.it, fines will be imposed regardless of whether the crossing occurred at or outside of a crosswalk.The measure will not apply to pedestrians using earphones and hands-free devices that do not interfere with safety regulations.It aims to reduce serious accidents between drivers and pedestrians – including tourists – staring at their phones. The Ministry of Transport’s final draft of the highway code is expected to be published by mid-October.Italy is not the first country to target distracted walkers. In 2017, Honolulu City Council in Hawaii passed a law banning texting while walking.Pedestrians in the Hawaiian city can be fined $15 (£11) to $99 (£73) for crossing the street while looking at their mobiles.People making calls to emergency services or first responders answering an emergency call are exempt.The Honolulu city council member who introduced the legislation, Brandon Elefante, said his main concern was the safety of high school students. The pedestrian bill is an extension of a ban on texting while driving.In 2018, cameras were also installed to film pedestrians as they crossed a notorious junction in central London in a bid to reduce the number of accidents caused by people glued to their mobile phones.Cameras were installed at Ludgate Circus in order to understand how inattentive walkers allow themselves to step out in front of traffic on a busy road while distracted by smart devices.The City of London Corporation, the governing body of the Square Mile in the heart of the capital, agreed to conduct the study of the junction, which connects Fleet Street, Ludgate Hill, Farringdon Street and New Bridge Street.Read more: Italian court rules against tourist who complained hotel refused her tap water