Cora Van Niewenhuizen, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, states that using a phone is just as dangerous on a bike as it is in a car, saying, "The fact is that whenever you’re on the road you should be paying full attention and not doing anything at all on a phone."
A recent report showed that last year, 20 percent of bike accidents involving people between the ages of 12 and 25 involved a smartphone. The Netherlands has more bikes (about 22 million) than people (17 million). Almost a quarter of the population cycles every day and bicycle use has increased by about 12 percent since 2005. The average Dutch cyclist now covers more than 600 miles a year.
Opinion polling in the Netherlands suggests that 75 percent of the Dutch believe the "active use" of a mobile phone (calling, texting, playing games, downloading music, posting on social media or using other apps) on bikes should be outlawed, with a majority saying they had witnessed "dangerous situations" involving cyclists and smartphones.
The drafted legislation reads: "It shall be prohibited to hold a mobile electronic device during the operation of any and all vehicles, including the bicycle." The legislation uses the term "mobile electronic device" as this is broader and keeps future technological developments in mind.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
