Mobile phone use while cycling: Incidence and effects on behaviour and safety

de Waard, Dick; Schepers, Paul; Ormel, W.; Brookhuis, Karel · 2010 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1080/00140130903381180

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Summary

This study investigates the prevalence and safety implications of mobile phone use while cycling, a behavior increasingly common in countries with high cycling rates like the Netherlands. Motivated by the lack of empirical data on this specific activity compared to driving, the research aims to determine how phone use affects cycling behavior and whether it correlates with accident risk. The authors conducted three distinct studies: an observational study to assess incidence, a retrospective survey of accident victims, and a controlled experiment to measure performance effects. In Study 1, researchers observed 2,138 cyclists in Groningen, finding that 2.8% were operating mobile phones (2.2% talking, 0.6% texting). Study 2 surveyed 1,142 cyclists treated for accidents, revealing that only 0.5% were using their phones at the time of the crash, a rate comparable to the general population. Study 3 involved 24 participants cycling under six conditions: control (one or two hands), easy phone conversation, difficult phone conversation, text messaging, and listening to music. Performance metrics included speed, lateral position, peripheral vision detection, and self-reported mental effort and risk. The experimental results demonstrated that mobile phone use significantly compromised cycling performance. Telephoning reduced cycling speed and impaired peripheral vision, with participants missing more objects in their environment. These effects were exacerbated by higher cognitive demands; difficult conversations required more mental effort and resulted in lower speeds than easy ones. Text messaging had the most severe impact, causing the largest reduction in speed (approximately 3 km/h), increased lateral deviation, and greater variation in lane position. Participants rated texting as the most risky condition. In contrast, listening to music had minimal effect on speed or performance, though it was perceived as slightly riskier than cycling with two hands. The authors conclude that while mobile phone use clearly degrades cycling performance through increased mental workload and reduced situational awareness, it does not appear to significantly increase accident rates. They attribute this discrepancy to compensatory behaviors, specifically that cyclists slow down when distracted. Consequently, the study suggests that banning phone use while cycling may have limited safety benefits due to these self-regulatory mechanisms and enforcement difficulties. Instead, the authors recommend educational interventions, particularly targeting young cyclists, to mitigate risks associated with distracted cycling.

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• mobile phones

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence