Another fine for tourists “replenished” their range of Spain. In addition to fines for appearing in swimming trunks off the beach, for loud parties, for drinking alcohol on the street, as well as for a number of other violations typical for tourists, now vacationers on bicycles will be fined for a certain object on their heads by as much as 18 thousand in ruble equivalent. We are talking about headphones: a fine for cycling in headphones will be more than 200 euros, which is about 18 thousand rubles.
The reason for this, according to SchengenVisaInfo.com, is concern for the safety of tourists. As Cycle SOS team leader Lena Farnell stated in the current Spanish legislation, it is noted that people cannot ride a bike while listening to music through headphones. “Cyclists caught wearing headphones can pay a fine of 200 euros,” she stressed, she added, saying the laws were in place for safety reasons, as headphones prevent drivers from hearing other sounds on the road.
“Wearing headphones while cycling can pose a safety hazard to you and other road users. Listening to music compromises the cyclist's ability to hear ambient sounds, even the sirens of emergency vehicles,” the expert said. The music also drowns out “vehicle horns and the screams of pedestrians.”
“The absence of headphones allows cyclists to become more aware of their surroundings, thereby helping them to ride their bike in a safer manner, which will minimize the number of traffic accidents” , she added.
By the way, you can also get a ticket for driving with headphones in Italy, as well as in Portugal. But there is a way around it – if a tourist removes one earpiece, he will not have to face a fine of about 160 euros.
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