Currently in The Netherlands there is a new law that makes using your mobile phone when you’re driving in any way illegal. Before this law the only thing that was illegal was calling someone not handsfree when you’re driving a car. This because before the main thing you did with your phone was calling and because of it is dangerous it is forbidden. Now the main thing people do with their smartphone is using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp etcetera. These activities can be really dangerous in the traffic.
This is the advertisement of the campaign which literally means ‘Social media and traffic don’t go together’.
Everywhere in The Netherlands are signs placed next to the highway that when you want do go on social media you have to do that on a parking place next to the highway. Also advertisements of this campaign are shown on Dutch television. The ministry of infrastructure and an organisation called ‘Veilig Verkeer Nederland’ which means safe traffic Holland started this campaign. Also the big telecom providers support the message and place banners on their website.
From October 2013 also cyclists in The Netherlands will be alerted for the dangers they risk when they use their smartphone while cycling. Researchers concluded that 49% of the cyclists in The Netherlands sometimes read a text-message while cycling and 35% sometimes sends a text-message. The organisation called TeamAlert wants to get attention for this through school projects and also through social media itself. Today there is no fine for cyclists using social media of using their smartphone, but I assume that there will be one in the future.
http://webwereld.nl/mobility/79300-politie-controleert-extra-op-smartphone-gebruik-in-de-auto
