THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A telecom company in the Netherlands has teamed up with the country's traffic safety authority to develop a bicycle lock that also locks mobile phones, in a move aimed at protecting young riders who regularly pedal through busy streets while looking at their phone.
An app will open the lock and simultaneously block the KPN cellular network, meaning that the cyclist's phone can only be used to call emergency services. Once the bike is locked, the cellphone will work again.
The Dutch Traffic Safety Association said Wednesday that the "Safe Lock" is expected to go on sale by the end of the year for around 100 euros ($110).
The association says that one in five bicycle accidents involving children is caused by smartphone use.