The Dutch government wants to ban the use of smartphone touchscreens while cycling. Users would still be able to make calls, as long as they use a hands-free kit, according to a brief to parliament from transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen.
Research commissioned by the ministry from SWOV, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and TNO as well as the expert traffic enforcement group found that using a touchscreen while cycling carries significant risks. The minister also wants to ban placing the phone in a holder on the handle bars of the bike.
The minister said in May that she would look at the possibility of banning phone use on bikes. This was a reversal of her earlier position that it would be impossible to enforce. Public campaigns with mobile operators aimed at reducing phone use while cycling have not had the desired effect, according to the government.
