Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin New research highlights the dangers of distracted cycling. DEKRA More and more cyclists are reaching for their cell phones while in the saddle – for making calls, listening to music, texting, or navigating. Something like 10 to 17 % of them use their phones at least once during a ride, and younger, male bicyclists use them even more often, according to a federal German study.
And like driving, when such distractions lead to a 50 % higher crash risk, cell phone use while cycling also significantly increases the risk of a crash. Those are the highlights of new research recently announced in a newsletter, Flying Blind on Two Wheels , by DEKRA , a company based in Germany that conducts automotive testing, inspection and crash research. “We have more and more cyclists, more traffic on roads and paths and a higher speed level due to electric drives – and unfortunately also rising accident numbers,” Luis Ancona, accident researcher at DEKRA, said in a statement.
“For cyclists, it's important to stay focused while riding and not be distracted.” Visual perception of traffic, for example, is severely impaired by looking at the smartphone. “Acoustic signals are also less noticeable, reaction and braking times are longer, and it becomes much more difficult to stay in your own lane,” Ancona added.
“This can lead to conflicts and accidents with oncoming cyclists, especially on narrow cycle lanes or paths.” Anything th.