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Netherlands considers banning use of mobile phones while cycling

Father of boy killed while using phone on bike has been campaigning for it to be made illegal

Netherlands transport minister Melanie Schultz yesterday told MPs that she was looking into banning the use of mobile phones while cycling. Schultz has previously opposed such a move but now feels that public safety campaigns alone have had insufficient impact on behaviour.

DutchNews.nl reports that according to a spokesperson for the minister, one in three 12-21 year olds use their phones while cycling. Phones were said to have played a part in 20 per cent of accidents involving under-25s.

The Hague bus and tram company HTM has also said that its drivers have to take evasive action at least 40 times a day because cyclists are busy on their phones.

Schultz previously said that a ban would be impossible to enforce, but now seems open to the idea with campaigns alerting people to the dangers apparently having little effect.

The issue has also risen to prominence following campaigning by Michael Kulkens whose 13-year-old son was killed while using a phone on a bike last year. “The woman who killed my son is absolutely blameless and her life has been turned upside down as well,” he said.

Since 2013, it has been illegal for cyclists to use a handheld mobile phone while riding in Austria. Lawbreakers are liable to a fine of €50. Those on bikes are permitted to use a phone via a hands-free kit, as drivers are.

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19 comments

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kitsunegari | 8 years ago
0 likes

I agree that people shouldn't cycle whilst using a phone (one handed, calling, not talking about a mounted map/computer).

But then people shouldn't drive whilst using a phone, and they do. Frequently. 

Since this law isn't enforced, why would this change anyones behaviour?

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Simmo72 | 8 years ago
2 likes

Based only on my own experience, I see %-wise more drivers texting and making calls than cyclists.  Both make me cringe and you have to be a complete idiot to do this whatever method of transport you are using. 

Driver the other day almost went into the back of me, he had to swerve past onto the roundabout.  one hand on mobile, the other behind his head (no joke).  I wanted to batter him.

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hawkinspeter | 8 years ago
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I'm not happy about this being used as another law to hassle cyclists with, and to be honest, it's quite rare for me to see someone cycling and using a phone (in Bristol at least). Yes it does happen, but nowhere near the number of times that I see drivers with phones stuck to the side of their head (or hiding it on their laps where only cyclists can see that they're texting/tweeting).

Maybe they should generalise the law and make it so that you are not able to use distracting devices whilst on a public road. Apply it to peds, cyclists and motons, but try to match up the fines with the danger imposed on others i.e. £10 fine for a ped, £20 for a cyclist and £200 for a moton.

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fukawitribe replied to hawkinspeter | 8 years ago
1 like

hawkinspeter wrote:

I'm not happy about this being used as another law to hassle cyclists with, and to be honest, it's quite rare for me to see someone cycling and using a phone (in Bristol at least). Yes it does happen, but nowhere near the number of times that I see drivers with phones stuck to the side of their head (or hiding it on their laps where only cyclists can see that they're texting/tweeting).

Maybe they should generalise the law and make it so that you are not able to use distracting devices whilst on a public road. Apply it to peds, cyclists and motons, but try to match up the fines with the danger imposed on others i.e. £10 fine for a ped, £20 for a cyclist and £200 for a moton.

AFAICS Netherlands, mobile phone use in a motor vehicle (unless with a hands free kit), fines up to €2,000 or two weeks in jail. Being on two wheels shouldn't excuse people being idiots.

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brooksby | 8 years ago
1 like

Problem here is that it is much easier to see if a cyclist is using a mobile phone (than looking through windows to see if drivers are), so the police will go for the low-hanging fruit.

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Mungecrundle | 8 years ago
2 likes

Trying to ban stupid behaviour which essentially is likely to end with injury or even death to the stupid person does make me feel conflicted. E.g I'm all for mandatory seat belt laws in cars, I don't like the idea of people getting hurt, personally I'd ban smoking tomorrow, but at the same time people need freedom and I recognise that there are probably well meaning people out there who would ban bicycles from the road tomorrow in an attempt to save us from ourselves.

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paul-ldn | 8 years ago
1 like

London cyclists notice it is de rigueur for car drivers to use their smartphones as we easily see down into their windows. It sounds like this isn't a similar problem in Netherlands so I wonder how they stamped usage out in cars and are now focusing on cyclists as their greatest threat to Dutch public safety?

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atgni | 8 years ago
4 likes

The UK Highway Code 'sort of' covers this for cyclists already with Rule 66.

You should:  keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear.

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tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
0 likes

I'm guilty of this too. I check my messages and have a quick chat on the loudspeaker to the other half when going up slow climbs of any length. Not really much more complex than grabbing the bottle for a drink. Not that I'd advocate it to anyone and I certainly wouldn't be doing it in city traffic, just out in the backcountry.

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alansmurphy | 8 years ago
2 likes

Surely this will set a terrible benchmark for those in cars, what constitutes use?

 

My strava is running on a mobile in my saddlebag, is that use. My bluetooth headset  may also be giving me google maps directions, is that use. What if my framebag has a plastic transparent front so I can see turn by turn directions?

 

In that case, mobile phones banned from cars. Sat Navs banned from cars. Car stereos banned from cars. Fuel efficiency and temperature monitors banned from cars. Walnut dashboards (well they are distracting)?

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RedfishUK replied to alansmurphy | 8 years ago
0 likes

alansmurphy wrote:

Surely this will set a terrible benchmark for those in cars, what constitutes use?

 

My strava is running on a mobile in my saddlebag, is that use. My bluetooth headset  may also be giving me google maps directions, is that use. What if my framebag has a plastic transparent front so I can see turn by turn directions?

 

In that case, mobile phones banned from cars. Sat Navs banned from cars. Car stereos banned from cars. Fuel efficiency and temperature monitors banned from cars. Walnut dashboards (well they are distracting)?

 

It's not the making of the actual calls that is an offence in the UK, but the act of being distracted by using a "hand held" device. In theory you could be found guilty for simply holding the phone, there is no need to prove you were making a call - in practice the additional evidence of the phone call being made is usually sort.

 So the same would presumably apply to cyclists

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L.Willo | 8 years ago
2 likes

"The issue has also risen to prominence following campaigning by Michael Kulkens whose 13-year-old son was killed while using a phone on a bike last year. “The woman who killed my son is absolutely blameless and her life has been turned upside down as well,” he said. - See more at: http://road.cc/content/news/191435-netherlands-considers-banning-use-mob...

=============

That is  refreshing. You would never hear a quote like that in the US and increasing the UK these days. The parents 99/100 would be blaming everyone else except the person responsible in a bid for compensation.

... the driver should have had superhuman reflexes .... poor infrastructure ..... blah, blah, blah , blah, blah .....

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Bez replied to L.Willo | 8 years ago
7 likes

L.Willo wrote:

That is  refreshing. You would never hear a quote like that in the US and increasing the UK these days. The parents 99/100 would be blaming everyone else except the person responsible in a bid for compensation.

Sorry, that's tripe.

Here's a news article that's not even 24 hours old.

Here are some salient points from it:

'Amy Asker, 33, was driving a green Ford Mondeo when she knocked over Seth Dixon … An inquest has now heard Ms Asker had been talking on the phone to a friend using its loud speaker when she hit the schoolboy. … a number of calls were deleted after the crash, the coroner heard. Ms Asker…later said she had no idea how calls had disappeared and said her mobile had been placed in the pocket of the driver's door on loudspeaker when the collision happened. Amy made and received seven calls while driving…'

And the point of particular note here:

'Mrs Husband said she had “forgiven” Ms Asker for making an “innocent mistake”. She said: "I don't blame her for what happened. It was an innocent mistake that led to tragic circumstances."'

 

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Christopher TR1 | 8 years ago
1 like

Yeah, but the kids around here look so cool, riding no-handed, gazing at their smart phone, doing 10kph on a shitty city bike.

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fenix | 8 years ago
1 like

Yeah definitely a good idea to ban phones from bikes.  Says me who's used his phone to taunt his pals as to there whereabout when I'd dropped them on a climb.   

It was a deserted empty road - I'd not do it with any traffic around - but I was younger and more foolish then. 

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CygnusX1 | 8 years ago
1 like

From the picture, it looks like the local police are already chasing down offenders 

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jmaccelari | 8 years ago
3 likes

Good idea...

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STiG911 | 8 years ago
3 likes

Worse than peds on mobiles. Clueless twats.

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Jem PT replied to STiG911 | 8 years ago
2 likes

STiG911 wrote:

Worse than peds on mobiles. Clueless twats.

 

I agree

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