Bicis Devices And Earbuds

Most of us carry phones or other devices with us and use them to listen to our favorite music and podcasts.  Many people crash and hurt themselves (and others) because they are distracted by their phones when driving, walking, or biking.

On a bike, you use your hands for steering, shifting, signaling, stopping, and more. If you are trying to hold your phone to call or text while biking and hit a road hazard (like a pothole), you could easily lose control of your steering and crash. You could also crash if you aren’t focused on the traffic around you including car drivers, other cyclists, pets, or people walking around you. For these reasons, you should not hold or operate your phone while you ride. Don’t let yourself be distracted!

If you use a device and are new to biking to school or work, now is a good time to create a plan for how to manage your device when you are riding. If you already ride with your device, this is a good time to review what you are doing and determine if your rules for yourself will keep you and everyone around you safe and enjoying the road.

Things you should consider:

• If you get a text, in the middle of your ride, what will you do?
• What if you get a phone call?

Your guideline might be to let all your friends know that you will respond to text messages after you get to your destination.  If the message or call is urgent, you might consider pulling over to a safe spot before continuing on your journey.

• What if you see an epic moment you want to capture on camera?

Your guideline might be to pull over to capture the moment instead of when you are in a pack of 40 people plus a few cars.

You might also plan to mount your device so that you can safely view it if you need directions or other monitoring. There are different products you can use or ways to safely mount your phone to your handlebars, like the one pictured below.

What if you use your earbuds to listen to music or directions?

In California it is legal to ride with one earbud in, but not both. Using only one earbud will allow you to still hear and be alert to what is happening around you. One way to remember the earbud law is with the phrase: 

“One…OK, Two…No Way.”

Will you get a ticket if you have two earbuds in? You may, or you may not. However, you will be more alert, safer, and ready to respond to traffic issues if you only have one earbud in and can hear what is happening around you.

Dealing with our own desire to reach for our devices is something we all have to figure out to stay safe. It is not easy. You will see many distracted car drivers, bike riders, and people walking (pedestrians). If you try to make eye contact and notice that they are not paying attention, be prepared to choose your best, safest option, like not entering an intersection or beginning to cross a street.

Figuring out a plan for your devices, being focused on your ride, and noticing what others around you are doing will help you have many excellent adventures on your bike.