Togoparts.com Cyclist Awareness Campaign Share
Cycling safety on roads has recently re-entered the public spotlight. The passing of cycling enthusiast Mr Ben Mok as a result of a hit-and-run accident has left a bitter taste on the mouths of many fellow cycling enthusiasts, and re-ignited the debate on the legitimacy, legality, and practicality of non-motorized forms of transport in Singapore. While public debate has focused on motorists’ skepticism about how cyclists can possibly traverse public roads safely and responsibly, it is also true that motorists may be unaware of the rights that cyclists have as road users. Reports showed that there were about 8,500 traffic accidents on Singapore’s roads. Almost 11,000 people were injured and 222 people were killed in 2008. The World Health Organisation also predicts that by 2030, road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death with the absolute number of deaths doubling in the process. In that context, the importance of safety and the need to ride responsibly should never be taken lightly. Being generally slower than motorized vehicles and more vulnerable to injury, cyclists need to be able to ride defensively in order to minimize the risks that fast-moving, congested traffic poses to them, especially in a highly-urbanized environment like Singapore. Drivers, on the other hand, have to be alert to the presence of cyclists - who can be hard to spot, and respond in a safe and timely manner. Cycling is becoming an increasingly popular sport; it is also a viable, ecological and healthy mode of transport. The number of bicycles on the road keeps growing - thus it is important that drivers be clear on how to react to them when they encounter a cyclist or group of cyclists. At Togoparts.com, we would like to stress that road safety is a joint responsibility for motorists and cyclists alike. All road users should be respectful of each other – regardless of their size or mode of power, obey traffic laws and regulations, and to be courteous and considerate whenever possible. Here are the top ten tips that both motorists and well as cyclists should keep in mind, in order to improve awareness of each other and safety on the roads. |
Top Ten Tips for Motorists (Drivers)
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Never underestimate the speed of cyclists, especially in congested traffic conditions.
Bicycles occupy a small space on the road and can weave in-between slow-moving or stopped vehicles; cyclists who do this are not flouting traffic rules, but are merely exercising their ability to get past heavy traffic. -
Be alert of cyclists in your own vehicle's blind spots.
Because cyclists occupy a small space on the road relative to motorized vehicles, they also present a very small visual profile. Be alert of them in your own vehicle’s blind spots when turning or filtering. Always check for cyclists behind as it is possible for them to keep up with you as you slow down to turn or filter. -
Be mindful of your own vehicle’s speed when driving in close proximity with a cyclist.
A vehicle moving close by at high speed can be very disorientating for a cyclist and can cause him/her to veer dangerously as he/she tries to avoid a speeding vehicle – endangering the cyclist as well as other road users. Provide sufficient clearance when overtaking cyclists, particularly if you encounter them in a very large group. -
Signal your intentions early.
Never weave or change lanes erratically to try to pass cyclists. Instead, signal your intentions early and, if needed, give a light tap of your horn to alert the cyclist of your presence and intentions. This habit promotes situational awareness and safety, and is a common courtesy that should be extended to all road users, cyclists or otherwise. -
Never tailgate cyclists.
Bicycles do not have brake lights to indicate that they are slowing down. Drivers should be patient and wait for the cyclist to signal his/her attentions, especially on the approach to junctions or on/off ramps. -
Look out for cyclists approaching from the rear when opening car doors and/or alighting from vehicles.
Cyclists will typically know when to give parked cars a wider clearance when cycling past them, but nonetheless this is a good habit to cultivate, especially in bike commuter traffic-heavy areas. -
A group of cyclists (or ‘peloton’, in cycling parlance) will tend to behave like a giant vehicle (such as a trailer truck or bus) and should be treated as such.
It accelerates, decelerates, and takes turns at a much slower rate than how a single athlete might ride. A peloton can be a densely packed, or strung out over quite long a distance, depending on the speed it is going at, so exercise caution when approaching or passing them.
A driver’s eye-view of a group or ‘peloton’ of cyclists. -
Avoid cutting a big group of cyclists in half by filtering through them.
Be patient and allow a large peloton to pass a junction or ramp before turning or filtering. -
Be particularly alert when driving in proximity with cyclists that are very young, elderly, or appear infirm and/or slow.
Once again, be cautious and patient with such road users: they may be cycling at very low speeds, and can be unsteady or hesitant in their actions on the road. -
Respect.
Understand that cyclists are fellow road users too – respect their presence and their rights on the road.