Police and council wardens handed out 53,000 fines to cyclists who were holding and using their phone while riding last year, a 16% increase on 2021, according to justice ministry figures.

The justice ministry has described the rise as ‘notable’. Cyclists caught with a phone in their hand while in traffic face a fine of €140.

In total, 8.1 million fines were given to motorists and cyclists for breaching traffic regulations, up slightly on 2021. Most – 6.5 million – were speeding tickets, but that is down on 2021, the figures show.

The worst place for picking up a speeding ticket was on the A29 at the Haringvlietbrug heading south. In total, speed cameras picked up 45,619 speeding offences on the road, which currently has a 50 kph limit because of road works.