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recently, the news that a woman in chengdu accidentally fell and died while riding a bicycle while holding a mobile phone attracted public attention. many people have had this experience of looking at their mobile phones while riding a bicycle. this seemingly normal behavior actually brings safety risks to yourself and others.

how dangerous is it to use a mobile phone while riding a bike? is it against traffic regulations? what should i do if i need to use navigation while riding? the reporter conducted an interview.

the cyclist is looking at his phone while driving. photo by our reporter li songlin

the probability of an accident while using a mobile phone while riding a bicycle is four to five times higher

many people may have had the experience of looking at their mobile phones while riding a bike.

once, ms. ma was riding an electric bicycle to take her child to school when her cell phone rang. ms. ma slowed down, took out her cell phone from her pocket with her left hand, and then lowered her head to swipe to answer the call. in such a short time, she looked up and found that she almost hit the car in front of her. "i am a little scared when i think about it. in fact, i only lowered my head for two or three seconds. accidents can happen at any time." ms. ma said that from then on, she used a rope to carry her cell phone across her body when riding a bicycle.

mr. tao goes cycling every weekend. one time, his phone rang while he was riding. he held the handlebars with his right hand and started to operate the phone with his left hand. within three seconds, the bike lost its center of gravity and swayed back and forth. he eventually fell to the ground, with blood all over his chin. "my whole face fell to the ground, and the injury was quite serious. it was quite scary when i think back." mr. tao said that this lesson also taught him a good lesson.

the reporter found that many cyclists would take out their phones while riding, some to make calls, some to send wechat messages. the most outrageous ones were some food delivery drivers or couriers, whose phones were fixed on the phone holders in front of the bikes, but in addition to navigation, they also watched short videos.

research data shows that the probability of a traffic accident while using a mobile phone while riding a bicycle is four to five times higher than during normal driving.

traffic law violations are rarely punished

is it against traffic regulations to use a mobile phone while riding? professor chen yanyan of the school of urban transportation at beijing university of technology said that it is the same as not being able to use a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle. you are also not allowed to operate electronic devices while riding.

according to the road traffic safety law of the people's republic of china, watching a mobile phone while riding an electric bike is considered a distraction while driving a non-motor vehicle, which violates traffic safety regulations. pedestrians, passengers, and non-motor vehicle drivers who violate road traffic safety laws and regulations on road traffic will be warned or fined between rmb 5 and rmb 50. at the same time, according to the regulations for the implementation of the road traffic safety law of the people's republic of china, when driving a bicycle, tricycle, electric bicycle, or motorized wheelchair for the disabled on the road, it is not allowed to take both hands off the handlebars or hold objects in the hands.

the beijing non-motor vehicle management regulations also clearly stipulate that when driving a non-motor vehicle on the road, both hands must not be off the handlebars. no behavior that distracts attention or hinders safe driving is allowed. violators will be warned or fined between rmb 10 and rmb 50 by the traffic management department of the public security agency.

although it is illegal, it is rare to see such behavior punished. the reporter interviewed a traffic policeman on the road, who said that if he saw someone taking out his mobile phone to reply to a message or make a call while riding on the road, he would generally not be too serious and punish him, but would remind him to pay attention to riding safety. however, if the cyclist caused a traffic accident because of distraction by using the mobile phone, or riding with the mobile phone in hand, he would say it separately.

the traffic police gave an example. if a person is riding a bicycle straight ahead normally with a mobile phone in his hand, and a car turning right hits him, "he should have been not responsible for the right turn, but because he was distracted by using his mobile phone, he may be held secondarily responsible or equally responsible." the traffic police said that specific situations must be analyzed specifically, but in a traffic accident, if the cyclist is distracted by using a mobile phone, he must bear responsibility and be fined.

at present, some countries abroad have included the use of mobile phones while riding a bicycle in the scope of heavy penalties, including the act of staring at the mobile phone screen. according to xinhua news agency, starting from november this year, using a mobile phone while riding a bicycle in japan may be sentenced to imprisonment. for the use of mobile phones while riding a bicycle, including staring at the mobile phone screen, the punishment may be imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine of not more than 100,000 yen (about 4,880 yuan); if it causes a traffic accident or causes danger, it may be imprisoned for not more than one year or a fine of not more than 300,000 yen (about 14,600 yuan).

"if we only rely on fines, the cost of law enforcement is still very high. a good solution is to focus on combining punishment with warning education." chen yanyan reminded cyclists to try not to use their mobile phones. "distracted behavior is actually the most dangerous. once a sudden danger occurs, it is difficult to deal with it."

what to do if you need to look at the navigation while riding

"i can't hold or look at my phone when riding a bike, so how can i use navigation?" this question may be in the minds of many people. riding to unfamiliar areas or people who are road-shy cannot do without navigation. even food deliverymen and couriers who are on the road every day rely on navigation to guide themselves to the exact location.

how to solve the problem of needing navigation while riding? chen yanyan told reporters that you should operate your mobile phone before riding, and it is best to place it on a bracket, so that you can listen to the voice navigation during riding, and at most glance at it from the corner of your eyes, without having to operate the screen with your hands, thus avoiding the danger of holding the phone off the handlebars.

many people have provided many "experience posts" on the internet. generally speaking, the most common method is to use a mobile phone holder. a similar method is to use a "tank bag", which is a storage bag with a screen display window, where you can put your mobile phone and carry it with you. before navigating, familiarize yourself with the route in advance. during the ride, you can rely on listening to the voice to identify the direction, and occasionally take a look to confirm the location. if you are a frequent cycling enthusiast, you can also choose professional navigation equipment or smart watches for navigation, which is safer.

source: beijing daily

reporter: luo qianwen

process editor: u070