Dutch cyclists are going to be banned from using their mobile phones while riding their bicycles. Sadiq Khan, please take note!!!
Anything but the hands-free use of mobile phones will be illegal in the Netherlands from July next year. It's about time something was done about the attitude of cyclists in London too, who believe there's no law they can't break.
The ban will extend an existing law from 2002 making it illegal for car and lorry drivers to use their phones out of hands-free mode. In London, the Met police have been having a crack down on Taxi drivers using their mobiles while being stationary on Taxi ranks......you couldn't make it up. While Private Hire drivers are illegally plying for hire opposite the Kings Cross Taxi rank, undercover police officers with body cams are recording stationary Taxi drivers checking their phone messages/emails and other heinous crimes. Apparently unless you remove the keys, you are still classed as driving, even with the engine turned off. An easy Nick ???
The Netherlands transport minister, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, told the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that the draft legislation will make it an offence "to hold a mobile electronic device while driving all vehicles", including bikes.
The maximum fine for breaking the current law is €230 (£205).
"This decision sets a clear standard: if you drive a vehicle in traffic, whatever the vehicle, you do not need to hold a mobile electronic device," Ms van Nieuwenhuizen added.
Surprisingly, bikes outnumber people in the Netherlands.
Last year, the transport ministry said one in three 12 to 21-year-olds use their mobile phones while cycling.
Phones reportedly played a role in 20 per cent of bicycle accidents involving under-25s, the ministry said.
1 comment:
The situation with cycling is this: just as when, we were all at school & knew what & when we could get away with - without getting caught - it’s the same with cyclists & car/taxi drivers. In fact it is human nature & the same for everyone. Let’s face it, if all car drivers could get away with running red lights & openly using phones they’d do it - because it’s human nature! Basically, if there’s no deterrent - & there isn’t for cyclists - people will get away with what they can. (And before any cyclists say that car drivers run red lights & openly use phones, well yes, that’s correct- but hey come on, compared to cyclists it’s minute!) The reason for this, is that car drivers stand more chance of getting caught - a slim chance maybe but a more increased chance - & that’s why more cyclists chance it & do it. There has to be a deterrent & until cyclists details can be logged & possible action taken they will persist - because there’s minimal chance of being caught. Most cyclists are nice considerate people and so are car drivers but because there is no deterrent, more chancers will adopt an attitude of being a risk to themselves and others. Then we have the cyclists who absolutely hate cars and particularly taxi drivers (one in particular, wrote a scathing and spiteful article about taxi drivers in a local south London newspaper this week - but then again this person is regularly doing that). Therefore, I feel that until cyclists are all registered and deterred from acting in such a carefree attitude to road manners and law, this situation will prevail - just as it would if car drivers drove around unregistered. Also, there is a lot of rubbish being spouted that any registration will put potential cyclists off. Well I can’t recall car drivers being put off by registering. And guess what; I use a bike and love cycling but some of the boneheads on social media who purport to represent cyclists are dangerous but are in positions of or associated to those who make decisions. It’s a shame as I feel cyclists and car users would have a much healthier respect for one another if they were all made to have the same laws and regulations attached to them.
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