14YO Cyclist Involved in a Hit & Run Along Telok Blangah

By
Zhi Hao
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For ages, the whole cyclist vs driver debate has raged on like hellfire.

We’ve even seen the intervention of celebrities such as Tay Ping Hui, who had his own altercation with a group of cyclists.

But at the end of the day, we still have no clear winner, though both factions would surely argue otherwise.

14YO Cyclist Involved in a Hit & Run Along Telok Blangah

Yet in light of an incident like this one, does the debate genuinely still matter?

On 4 September 2021, a 14-year-old teen was cycling along the roads of Telok Blangah with his friends when a silver car rammed into him.

Apparently, the teen had attempted to move out of the lane to avoid potholes, and had been hit by the car in the process.

The impact allegedly sent him flying onto the road.

After the collision, the male driver allegedly stepped out of the car. But instead of helping the boy, he allegedly retrieved his broken license plate number and proceeded to drive off.

Apparently, the male driver had appeared flushed at the time, and smelled of alcohol.

If it was a case of drink driving, that would certainly explain his hurried escapade.

Injuries

As a result of the impact, the teen had to undergo admission to the hospital, and sustained visible bruises on his forehead, right eye, hands and feet.

They’re also looking for eyewitnesses now. Back then, they were allegedly too shocked and traumatised to record the driver’s particulars.

Other Instances

Though the aforementioned case may imply that the driver was in the wrong, that’s not always the case.

Cyclists have, too, been chewed out for supposed “irresponsibility” on the roads.

And to mitigate the risks of such instances, one Netizen had previously come up with a rough “guide”.

According to him, some cyclists do not have the habit of looking around to check for traffic or give way to buses when approaching a bus stop.

Furthermore, they often place themselves in the blind spots of vehicles—areas that cannot be viewed by any of the mirrors in a vehicle.

Hence, with drivers being unable to get a clear view of cyclists in their mirror while driving, accidents and collisions are likely to occur.

He pointed out that cyclists could lose their lives over “[one] small stumble” while the drivers who hit them would lose employment and “suffer for the rest of [their lives]” for having inadvertently killed someone.

He also noted that when such accidents occur, the fault always lies with the driver for reckless driving despite the irresponsibility of the cyclist.

Finally, Mr Nooraidil encouraged cyclists to educate themselves on the dangers of large vehicles and “the vast number of blind spots they have”.

He suggested the use of visual aids rather than text as he insisted no one would read textual guides.

In addition, he encouraged them to borrow the Basic Theory Test (BTT) and Final Theory Test (FTT) materials from others to read up on.

While hit and run incidents such as the aforementioned ones do occur, that’s not always the case.

Cyclists should always take precautions on the roads, while drivers should make it a habit to check thoroughly.

In the end, it’s not so much of the driver vs cyclist debate that’s the issue.

It’s the safety of both factions that truly matters.

BTW, do you know that cyclists have to follow a set of safety rules when cycling in Singapore? Check out the video here:

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Featured Image: Kwangmoozaa/shutterstock.com

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]