Proposed New York City bill to ban texting while cycling

New York City councillor Mark Treyger has sponsored a bill that would ban cyclists from texting or talking on their cellphones while riding. The legislation is set to go before council on Thursday. If the bill passes, a cyclist who causes injury or property damage while using a cellphone would be fined $50. Treyger also has a plan for cyclo-texters who don’t cause injury or damage. He has another bill that would create a bike-safety course for those who violate the ban but do not cause harm.

“If you’re biking and texting, you’re obviously not paying attention to where you’re going,” Treyger said to the Wall Street Journal. “We want to discourage any type of distraction that will take your eyes off the road.”

In Canada, all the provinces and territories except Nunavut have legislation banning cellphone use for motorists. On the bike, cellphone use is a problem. “Everything we see in a car, we see on bikes,” said Const. Brian Montague of the Vancouver Police to The Vancouver Sun. “People impaired on their bikes, people texting on their bikes…being distracted by electronic devices—anecdotally it’s just a much of a problem as drivers distracted by cellphones.”

In July 2010, police in Owen Sound, Ont., encountered their first case of an injury due to cycling and texting. A 16-year-old boy ran into the back of a parked vehicle and flew into its rear window. The rear window was smashed, while the boy only suffered some scratches. The cyclist was charged with careless driving.