Despite the new ban, four out of five young people use their smartphone while cycling. This is shown by research among 1331 young people by the TeamAlert and Samsung Foundation. Smartphone-free cycling appears to be difficult for young people who use the smartphone the most to control and app music and navigation.
Almost all young people (95.6%) appear to be aware of the smartphone ban that came into effect on July 1 and smartphone-free cycling is the norm. Although the majority do not comply with the ban, 62.3% of young people agree with the ban. They indicate that they consider smartphone use on bicycles dangerous. 40% of young people use their smartphone on bicycles less since the ban.
Risk group
Young people are a risk group when it comes to smartphone use on bicycles. They have less experience in traffic, use the smartphone above average and are more receptive to the temptations of the device. As a result, they use their smartphone on bicycles earlier than adults.
The survey shows that 69% of young people think it is normal for peers to use their smartphone while cycling. Smartphone-free cycling is therefore not yet the social norm. That is why Samsung and TeamAlert are carrying out the Beat the Street project at the Gemeentelijk Gymnasium Hilversum on 24 September. During Beat the Street, young people experience through virtual reality that smartphone use in traffic is dangerous. Attention is also paid to shifting the social norm. The entire investigation is here to read.
TeamAlert is a youth organization that deals with young people and risk behavior. Based on this vision, TeamAlert focuses on a variety of relevant social themes that affect young people, such as road safety, smartphone-free cycling, a healthy lifestyle and smart use of money.
