Last week a young girl was almost hit by a car near a mall. The girl and her friends started abusing the driver and accused him of careless driving. A traffic policeman nearby intervened and pointed out that the mistake was on the part of the girl. She had been talking on her mobile phone while crossing the road. She was so absorbed in her conversation that she had not bothered look before crossing.

Sometime ago, a railways official was quoted by a newspaper as saying that more people were hit by trains as they crossed the tracks while talking on their mobiles. He was also quoted as saying most of them were women.

If talking is bad, then texting is worse. Their entire attention is on the phone's screen, not on the traffic.

The problem is not restricted to those who cross roads or railway tracks. Those talking on their mobiles while driving don't realise that they are putting others' lives at risk. And somehow, many seem to think using a handsfree solves the problem.

There are laws that take care of those who talk and drive, but there are none for those who talk and walk (or cross roads and railway tracks). There is an immediate need for such a law and the penalty for doing it must be heavy enough to deter them.