No Texting for Bicyclists

Girl biking and texting

While there are a few hardy souls who bike to work all winter long, spring weather brings out many more bicyclists riding along the lake front as well as in designated bike lanes on many of Chicago’s streets. Cyclists who use these lanes often tell tales of errant car divers who have failed to obey the rules. But bicyclists must also obey the rules and one that you may be unfamiliar with is, just like car drivers, it is against the law for bicyclists to use their cell phones to text or talk unless using a hands free device. The ordinance, which went into effect in this past March, fines violators $20 for their first offense, and $100 for three or more violations. Everyone agrees that automobile drivers endanger everyone around them when they talk or text while driving, but bicyclists also pose a very real threat to road safety when they clutch a cell phone while biking.