The latest proof that “distracted walking” has become a serious problem can be found in Xi’an, a city in central China. A shopping mall there recently designated separate lanes on the sidewalk outside for texters. The lanes, which have messages such as “Don’t look down for the rest of your life” painted on them, are meant to call attention to an urgent safety issue. About 270,000 pedestrians die worldwide in road accidents yearly, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S., pedestrian deaths rose 27 percent from 2007 to 2016, and many experts say texting while walking is a key factor. Earlier this year, Montclair, California, became the second U.S. city—after Honolulu, Hawaii—to make distracted walking illegal. Pedestrians in Montclair can be fined $100 or more for looking at their phones, or even listening to music, while crossing the street. “The youth admit that they are distracted by their cellphones,” city manager Edward Starr told The Los Angeles Times. The new law, he said, is “a reminder for them that their lives are on the line.”