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Can I use my phone or ride without lights on my bike?

In short

No. Holding a phone in your hand is forbidden on a bike too, and front and rear lights are compulsory in the dark. The alcohol limits also apply to cyclists.

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This rule in 52 seconds
Video transcript

It is getting dark. You are cycling home with your phone in your hand. Not allowed: Holding a phone is forbidden on a bike too. Front and rear lights are compulsory in the dark. The right way: Switch on your lights and put the phone in a holder. The alcohol limit applies on a bike too. Fine notice: Phone in hand: 191 €; Riding without lights: 64 €; Alcohol 0,5 – 0,8 per mille: 179 € or 197 €.

What is not allowed, what is required?

  • In the dark, or when visibility drops below about 200 m (e.g. in fog), switch on a white or yellow light at the front and a red light at the back. You must always have a white reflector at the front, a red one at the back and yellow/orange reflectors on the pedals (there is a daytime exception for some sports bikes).
  • A bike is a vehicle too. While riding, you may not hold or use a phone with a screen in your hand; you may only use it in a holder fixed to the bike.
  • The alcohol limit is the same as for driving a car: 0,5 per mille in the blood (0,22 mg/l in the breath). Cycling above this limit is also an offence.
  • Stop at a red light. You may only go through if there is a B22 sign (right turn on red) or a B23 sign (straight on at red), and you must give way to everyone.
  • If there is a usable cycle path on your right, use it. Children under 10 may always ride their bike on the pavement.

Penalty and indirect consequences

PENALTY NOTICETraffic offence, degree 3
Fine / payment
Holding a phone or going through a red light is a 3rd-degree offence: on-the-spot fine of 191 €. Riding without lights is a 1st-degree offence: 64 €. Alcohol between 0,5 and 0,8 per mille: on-the-spot fine of 197 € in Flanders, 179 € in Wallonia and Brussels.

Legal basis:KB 30.9.2005, art. 3, 2°/2 (Justel)KB 30.9.2005, art. 3, 36° (Justel)

Court / prison
No prison sentence for traffic offences. In the police court, the fine for a 3rd-degree offence can be about 300 € – 5.000 €. For high alcohol levels, the court imposes much higher fines.

Legal basis:Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 29 (Justel)Wegverkeerswet 16.3.1968, art. 29 + KB 30.9.2005 (Justel)

What does this level mean? Traffic offence, degree 3: On-the-spot payment €191; in court €300 – €5,000; the court may suspend the licence for 8 days – 5 years. All penalty levels →

What really matters: the indirect consequences

  • A cyclist who is at fault in an accident may have to pay for the damage caused to others

    Legal basis:BW Boek 6, art. 6.5

  • In an accident involving a motor vehicle, the vehicle's insurance generally pays for the cyclist's personal injuries

    Legal basis:WAM-wet 21.11.1989, art. 29bis §1 (Justel)

  • You set a good example for children

What do these terms mean?

On-the-spot payment
A fixed amount offered by the police. If you pay, the case is closed and does not go to court. If not, the prosecutor takes over; the amount can rise and the case can go to court.
Police court
The court for traffic offences and appeals against GAS fines. Despite the name, it is not part of the police; an independent judge decides.

All terms: glossary →

Why does this rule exist?

Cyclists are vulnerable road users. A cyclist without lights is invisible in the dark. A cyclist who is looking at a phone or has been drinking loses balance and concentration.

Check your own situationThe right decision in trafficMake the right decision in 10 situations: a car from the right, a pedestrian crossing, an ambulance, a wedding convoy.

Where can you go?

  • Municipal driving licence serviceExchanging a foreign driving licence and other licence matters
  • Free first-line legal adviceIf you have been summoned to the police court (juridische eerstelijnsbijstand / aide juridique de première ligne)
  • Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.

This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses

Source and reliability

Official source
Source check
19 / 19 statements in an official source
Checked: 02.11.2026
Last checked
12.10.2026
Rules can change
Show the 19 checked statementsopen

The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.

General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?

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