Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider Johannes Staune-Mittet has been fined €200 for riding while wearing headphones in Spain.
The Norwegian received the fine from Spain’s Ministry of the Interior on Monday morning, while training in the province of Alicante, on the country’s east coast.
According to Spanish traffic regulations, it is against the law to drive or cycle using in-ear or over-ear headphones, due to concerns that they reduce the user’s road awareness.
Posting his fine on Strava, Staune-Mittet wrote: “Guess it is better to buy a pair of those ugly out of ear headphones than to get fined for airpods every day.”
The 23-year-old also shared a video of his fine, showing the sum of €200, reduced to €100 if he pays it within 20 days.
The specific infringement he was said to have committed was ‘driving with headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players’.
This falls under article 13.3 of the ‘Reglamento General de Circulación’ – General Traffic Regulations – which states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing any type of audio headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players or other devices that reduce constant attention to driving, except when taking open circuit aptitude tests to obtain a driver's licence under the terms determined by the regulations.”
The infringement also relates to article 18.2, which similarly states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing headphones or earphones connected to audio devices, except during driving lessons and open-circuit aptitude tests for obtaining a motorcycle license, when required by the General Traffic Regulations.”
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