介绍:
Using a mobile phone while cycling is to be banned in the Netherlands, a country where bikes outnumber people.
A law passed in 2002 bans car and lorry drivers using their mobile phones when they drive. Now cyclists are included.
The Dutch transport minister said, “The law is needed because the popularity of social media and unlimited mobile data has changed how people use smartphones and the time they spend on them.”
“Cyclists were not included in the initial ban because of their lower speeds,” the minister said. “In fact, using a phone on a bike is just as dangerous as it is in a car. Whenever you’re on the road, you should be paying full attention and not doing anything at all on a phone.”
The increasing popularity of electric bikes means cyclists’ average speed has risen, while the country’s cycle lanes and paths have become more crowded.
The Netherlands has more bikes than people. Almost a quarter of the population cycles every day.
One research shows that 75% of the Dutch believe active use of mobile phones on bikes — calling, texting, playing games, downloading music, posting on social media or using other apps — should be banned.
