Calling and texting on a bike stays legal

Good news! You will not get fined if you make a phone call or send a whatsapp message while biking. But is it safe?We understand, using a phone is very important to a lot of people. Even when they are doing something that needs attention, like riding a bike. Real phone addicts are in luck: our Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, is not in favor of prohibiting the use of a phone on a bike. She wants to influence people’s behavior instead of forcing them to put away the phone.Denmark and Germany, as well as some Southern European countries, do have rules on the use of phones on a bike. Those rules, however, are very hard to maintain and almost never lead to actual fines. German police men think it is hard to apply the rules: they have to catch bikers in the act to be able to do something.

Using the phone while biking is not safe at all. According to research company SWOV, there are signs that cyclists that are talking on the phone are often involved in accidents or near misses. 3 to 4 percent of the accidents are caused by the use of a phone.Bike mode
To stimulate people to keep their hands of their mobile equipment, there is an app called ‘Fietsmodus‘ (bike mode). When the bike mode is switched on, the screen stays black when you receive messages, and you can win prizes when you don’t touch the phone.

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