Most drivers on the road can relate to the momentary horror of a cyclist darting out from seemingly nowhere onto their path.
Cycling on the road is allowed in Singapore as long as cyclists wear helmets, but the danger of cycling in the blind spots of vehicles, especially heavy ones, remains high.
Furthermore, cycling alongside heavy traffic on a busy road is never a good idea, as pointed out by one netizen who used Facebook to express his concern over the issue.
Here’s what happened.
Cyclists Get Educated on Blind Spots of Heavy Vehicles in Viral FB Post
On Saturday (5 June), Mr Nooraidil was travelling on Bus 854 in Hougang.
Along the way, he noticed four cyclists cycling close together along a busy road with heavy vehicles like cement trucks and buses.
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.
Mr Nooraidil says that cyclists should make use of emptier roads instead, such as Changi Coastal, Tampines Road or Jalan Bahar.
He also advised them to leave earlier if they need to reach a certain destination, and to cycle more slowly along pavements and Park Connector Networks (PCNs).
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.
His post has evidently resonated with many other people, as it has gone viral and garnered over 3,800 shares in one day.
Featured Image: Facebook (Mohammad Nooraidil)