THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) backed the proposal being pushed in the City Council prohibiting the use of gadgets while crossing the streets to ensure the safety of the pedestrian and the motorists.

In an interview with DCPO director Police Colonel Alexander Tagum yesterday, he said this new policy will help minimize road accidents involving pedestrians.

"It's about time (to pass such ordinance) for the safety of local motorists and pedestrians. It makes sense and therefore, in my personal opinion, is highly necessary," Tagum said yesterday.

Pedestrians glued on their devices either busy texting, scrolling their social media, listening to music, watching videos or playing mobile games are a common sight on the streets which make them more susceptible to accidents.

"We don't have to wait for accidents and casualties to pile up before we initiate actions. This measure is intended to prevent possible disasters to happen and therefore a proactive move of our local leaders," Tagum said.

Earlier, a neophyte Davao City councilor, Jonard Dayap, pushed for an ordinance penalizing pedestrians wearing headphones or other gadgets while crossing the streets to ensure the safety of both the pedestrians and the motorists.

The councilor said he wanted to adopt a similar ordinance from Baguio City which was approved in the same city on third and final reading on June 24.

In a report by SunStar Baguio, the ordinance known as the Anti-Distracted Walking Ordinance of 2018, aims to prohibit pedestrians from using any distractive tools that could lead them to an accident.

There has been a previous proposal in the Davao City Council to pass an ordinance that would mandate schools to teach traffic rules and road safety regulations to young learners.