Cities, states crack down onbicyclists distracted bysmartphones

Lieutenant Don Robertella, of the Newark Police Department, talks on the phone during a stop along thePolice Unity Tour bike ride on May 9, 2013, in Newark, New Jersey. Photo: AP/Julio Cortez

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some cities and states want bicyclists to keep theirattention on the road and off their smartphones. At the same time that cities aretrying to become friendlier for bicycles, more people are using electronicdevices to communicate and navigate. Officials are worried about bicyclistswho chat, text or listen to music on smartphones. They fear cyclists are creatingdanger for themselves and other people using the sidewalks and roadways.

“If they want to share the road, they have to share the responsibility as well,”says Massachusetts State Representative Steven Howitt. He introduced a billthat would make it illegal for bicyclists to wear headphones. Howitt is a memberof the Republican Party.

By Stateline.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.01.15 Word Count 880

Howitt says drivers cannot wear headphones in the state, and it should be thesame for bicyclists. He says, “In this age of electronics and constantly beingentertained, I see bicyclists with headphones on, particularly in the city (ofBoston). A biker could be cutting across an intersection, and an ambulance iscoming through and he’s not hearing it if he’s playing music very loud.”

Bicycle Groups Want More Evidence

People who support bicyclists say there is no need for new laws or fines.Common sense should be enough, they say. They also say there is no evidencethat headphones and smartphone use have caused death or serious injury.

Peter Wilborn is founder of Bike Law, a network of lawyers that focuses oncycling. He says,“There’s a huge difference between distracted driving that killssomeone and distracted biking that doesn’t. I don’t think we need lawsspecifically for this.”

Ken McLeod is with a group called the League of American Bicyclists, and sayshis group supports allowing bikers to choose whether to wear headphones.McLeod says he is unaware of any research about headphones and cyclistsafety. His group is not likely to support laws that ban headphones.

McLeod's group feels differently about texting, though. He says his grouppromotes keeping both hands on the handlebars, and if cyclists are gettingdistracted, a law against texting would be fine.

Some Riders Use Phones For Training

McLeod warned that there could be problems with how cities or states createand enforce the biking laws. For example, many cyclists mount smartphones ontheir handlebars and use them to train. The devices can track everything fromspeed to revolutions per minute.

McLeod also worries that cyclists using smartphones or headphones are morelikely to attract police attention. They are more visible than drivers. He says, “Ifthey’re going to be doing more enforcement of distracted biking than distracteddriving, that’s not the answer."

Most states do not include cyclists in cellphone or texting laws. California,Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia do. TheAmerican Automobile Association says Pennsylvania defines bicycles asvehicles, and people driving vehicles cannot use headsets in that state.

Delaware does not allow cyclists to wear earplugs or headsets that cover bothears. Maryland does not either, except when cyclists are on bike paths. RhodeIsland fines offenders and takes it a step further. It does not even allow bikers ordrivers to wear listening devices on one ear.

Few States Consider New Laws

Jeffrey Dinowitz, an assemblyman from New York state, says he has tried foryears to get a bill passed that would prohibit cyclists from using hand-heldcellphones or texting. New York already bans drivers from using them, andDinowitz says, “I’ve seen people bicycling and talking on their cellphones at thesame time. I’ve seen people texting. That’s crazy." Dinowitz is from theDemocratic Party.

Most states have not addressed distracted biking, and in the small number ofstates that have, the attempts were not very successful.

California state lawmakers passed a bill in 2011 that would have includedbicyclists in the state's hands-free, no-texting law. It was vetoed by DemocraticGovernor Jerry Brown. The bill included things that were not related to bicycleriders.

Douglas Shinkle is a federal transportation policy expert. He says distractedbiking bills have also failed in Oregon, New York and Virginia. Shinkle says hehas heard from lawmakers concerned about distracted biking, but the problemis still new. Traffic safety researchers are not sure how much it occurs and towhat degree it increases risk.

Chicago Cyclists Face Fines

Several cities, such as Chicago, Illinois, have distracted cycling ordinances. Anordinance is a law passed at a local level. Chicago forbids cyclists from usingcellphones without a hands-free device. Cyclists pay a higher fine if they areinvolved in an accident.

Last year, the city of Flagstaff, Arizona, banned texting while biking or driving.In January, Austin, Texas, did the same.

New York City is considering a bill that would allow police to ticket cyclists whotalk or text on a hand-held phone. First-time violators could avoid a fine bytaking a biking safety course, unless they injured someone or damagedproperty. Those ticketed more than once in 18 months would face additionalpenalties.

Democratic City Councilman Mark Treyger sponsored the bill, and says hefocused on the problem after he saw a cyclist swerve into oncoming traffic andalmost cause an accident. The cyclist was texting. Treyger says, "If we’reserious, everyone — motorists, bikers and pedestrians — has to do their part.”

Quiz

1 Which answer choice includes two central ideas from the article?

(A) McLeod warned that there could be problems with how cities orstates create and enforce the biking laws; McLeod also worries thatcyclists using smartphones or headphones are more likely to attractpolice attention.

(B) Some cities and states want bicyclists to keep their attention on theroad and off their smartphones; people who support bicyclists saythere is no need for new laws or fines.

(C) At the same time that cities are trying to become friendlier forbicycles, more people are using electronic devices to communicateand navigate f;or example, many cyclists mount smartphones ontheir handlebars and use them to train.

(D) Most states have not addressed distracted biking, and in the smallnumber of states that have, the attempts were not very successful;he says distracted biking bills have also failed in Oregon, New Yorkand Virginia.

2 Which central idea of the article is MOST supported by the last paragraph of thearticle?

(A) The practice of biking while using a smartphone poses a danger tomany people.

(B) Many bikers are not happy with the potential laws that may bepassed.

(C) States' attempts to pass distracted biking laws have not beensuccessful.

(D) People feel that bikers should follow the same laws aboutsmartphone use as drivers.

3 Read the following statement.

Texting while biking is more dangerous than wearing headphones while biking.

Which of the following people quoted in the article would most likely AGREE withthe statement above?

(A) Steven Howitt

(B) Jeffrey Dinowitz

(C) Ken McLeod

(D) Douglas Shinkle

4 Which of the following MOST influenced Peter Wilborn's stance against laws beingpassed about bikers and smartphones?

(A) the fact that there is no tangible evidence that bikers usingsmartphones causes serious injury or death

(B) the fact that prior attempts to enforce laws against distracted bikinghave been unsuccessful

(C) the fact that accidents caused by distracted drivers are far worsethan those caused by distracted bikers

(D) the fact that there could be a lot of problems with how biking lawsare enforced by cities or states

Answer Key

1 Which answer choice includes two central ideas from the article?

(A) McLeod warned that there could be problems with how cities orstates create and enforce the biking laws; McLeod also worries thatcyclists using smartphones or headphones are more likely to attractpolice attention.

(B) Some cities and states want bicyclists to keep their attention

on the road and off their smartphones; people who support

bicyclists say there is no need for new laws or fines.

(C) At the same time that cities are trying to become friendlier forbicycles, more people are using electronic devices to communicateand navigate f;or example, many cyclists mount smartphones ontheir handlebars and use them to train.

(D) Most states have not addressed distracted biking, and in the smallnumber of states that have, the attempts were not very successful;he says distracted biking bills have also failed in Oregon, New Yorkand Virginia.

2 Which central idea of the article is MOST supported by the last paragraph of thearticle?

(A) The practice of biking while using a smartphone poses a

danger to many people.

(B) Many bikers are not happy with the potential laws that may bepassed.

(C) States' attempts to pass distracted biking laws have not beensuccessful.

(D) People feel that bikers should follow the same laws aboutsmartphone use as drivers.

3 Read the following statement.

Texting while biking is more dangerous than wearing headphones while biking.

Which of the following people quoted in the article would most likely AGREE withthe statement above?

(A) Steven Howitt

(B) Jeffrey Dinowitz

(C) Ken McLeod

(D) Douglas Shinkle

4 Which of the following MOST influenced Peter Wilborn's stance against laws beingpassed about bikers and smartphones?

(A) the fact that there is no tangible evidence that bikers usingsmartphones causes serious injury or death

(B) the fact that prior attempts to enforce laws against distracted bikinghave been unsuccessful

(C) the fact that accidents caused by distracted drivers are far

worse than those caused by distracted bikers

(D) the fact that there could be a lot of problems with how biking lawsare enforced by cities or states