Introduce safety rules for cyclists

I urge the authorities not to delay introducing safety rules for cyclists.

I have seen how badly cyclists can get injured, even when they are wearing full safety gear. The injuries can be as severe as falling off a motorbike.

But it is most dangerous when the cyclists are not wearing safety helmets. A simple fall leading them to hit their heads could be life threatening.

The authorities have to enforce the helmet-wearing rule for their own good.

Cyclists also need to know some basic road safety knowledge and the basics of the Highway Code.

For instance, if they fall, they should fall to the left side. Falling to the right raises the risk of them getting run over by a moving vehicle.

They must also learn that they cannot turn and stop whenever they feel like it, without giving proper signals. This endangers not only their own lives but also that of other road users.

Our roads and common spaces are getting more congested, but some just do not take safety seriously.

If road users are not taking personal responsibility for their own safety, then the authorities have to do it for them.

Robin Yap Seng Bee

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 27, 2018, with the headline Introduce safety rules for cyclists. Subscribe