Tune in: Spain doles out 200 euro fines for cycling with earphones
Listening to music while riding a bike or electric scooter is strictly prohibited in Spain
The summer holidays are now just around the corner and with Spain still ranking as the number one sun destination for Brits, tourists are expected to flock to the country’s resorts in the coming weeks.
Car hire has become increasingly expensive in recent years so what better way to explore the meandering streets than by bike? Or save your energy even further by opting to zip around on the super popular electric scooters.
Both great alternatives to driving or walking, but be warned: you could quickly be slapped with a 200 euro fine if you’re caught listening to music.
In Spain, the traffic authorities are cracking down on dangerous practices committed by cyclists and electric scooter users, considered some of the most vulnerable road users. That’s why listening to music (or podcasts, the radio, anything, for that matter) through headphones while riding a bike or personal mobility vehicle is considered an offence and will be penalised by police.
Conversely, the same law applies in France but in Italy and Portugal, cyclists can listen to music as long as they use only one earphone.
“Wearing earphones whilst cycling could present a safety risk to yourself and other road users. Listening to music compromises a cyclist’s ability to listen to road traffic, including the sirens of emergency vehicles,” Lena Farnell, legal team leader at CycleSOS explained.
“They may also be less aware of warning signals such as vehicles using their horn or pedestrians shouting. Not wearing earphones allows cyclists to be more aware of their surroundings, helping them to cycle in a safer way, which will reduce the number of road traffic accidents.”
As well as the ban on earphones, scooter and bike users are also prohibited from using their mobile phones, just like drivers, and this infraction also carries a fine of 200 euros. Other similar sanctions will be doled out for children under the age of 16 not wearing a helmet and not wearing reflective vests in tunnels or poorly-lit areas.
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Image: Marymarkevich/Freepik
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