A 12-year-old boy riding his bicycle in Elad was stopped by a policeman and fined NIS 1,000 (one thousand) for speaking on his cell phone while riding, thereby endangering the public.
The incident occurred on Monday evening 11 Menachem Av, on Shimon Ben-Shetach Street in Elad. A policeman spotted the youth riding and speaking on his cellular phone without using a Bluetooth [hands free] device, riding in a traffic lane.
The child received the summons but refused to sign, explaining to the policeman that he is 12, not yet bar mitzvah.
Last month, 21-year-old Shlomo Chalfan, a Bnei Brak talmid yeshiva, received a NIS 500 fine and six points on his license, which he does not have. (Perhaps he will receive the points if and when he gets a drivers license).
Israel Police has announced it is cracking down on riders using an electric bicycle. According to the new law, one riding an electric bicycle must wear a helmet, one may not ride on a sidewalk and must adhere to the same laws applicable to drivers.
A person receiving a fine may pay it or opt to have it adjudicated in a court of law, as is the case with any motorist.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photo: Kikar Shabbos)
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3 Responses
Quite right too.
Cyclists alll over the world seem to think they are a law unto themselves, flouting traffic laws by, for example, running red lights and riding on the sidewalk to avoid traffic queues.
It’s about time the authorities cracked down on these dangerous practices.
Well done to the Israeli Police for taking a lead which I hope other countries will follow.
Bikers are not aviators.
#1- This was a 12 year old kid. The cop should have warned and educated him.