Some 850 fines per week for phone use while cycling

On average, the police hand out over 850 fines per week to people using their phones while cycling, NU.nl reports based on figures from judicial collections agency CJIB.

Phone use while cycling has been illegal in the Netherlands since 2019. Research showed that people cycle less safely if they're distracted by their phones. The fine for using your phone on the bike is 100 euros.

The figures from the past two years showed that the police handed out a third more fines in the summer than during the winter. This could be a seasonal effect - people are more focused on just getting inside in the winter, and operating a phone with gloves is difficult.

But only two years' figures are not enough to draw any accurate conclusions. Especially since the coronavirus pandemic last year caused a significant disruption to usual behavior.