Singapore — As 2021 ended and another year began, several incidents involving collisions and near misses between road users at street crossings were highlighted online.
Whether it’s a car slamming into a passing cyclist or a vehicle almost hitting a pedestrian crossing the road, Facebook community page focused on Singapore road safety, Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road, has been busy during the year-end period.
On Dec 30, 2021, an Audi was caught on a dashboard camera zooming past a red light along Lentor Avenue, coming within inches of hitting a pedestrian crossing the street.
“If the woman had started crossing just a few seconds earlier or walked just a bit faster, this could have turned into a terrible accident,” wrote Beh Chia Lor.
On New Year’s Eve, an uncle on a bicycle was crossing on red light along Pasir Ris.
He was then knocked down by a passing vehicle, the driver most likely not spotting the cyclist due to a blind spot caused by other vehicles.
“Who should have more responsibility for this?” the page asked.
A “New Year’s Day incident in Sengkang” was also shared online, involving a car hitting a FoodPanda delivery rider on a bicycle.
Seconds before the FoodPanda rider crossed the street, another cyclist made it safely across.
However, as the vehicle stopped beyond the designated white line before the pedestrian crossing and the rider failed to check before entering the road, a collision occurred.
Members from the online community reminded others of common road safety etiquette, such as dismounting a bicycle when passing a pedestrian crossing or slowing down at an intersection to avoid such incidents.
“Cyclists should unmount on crossings. I think authorities should enforce this rule that cyclists should unmount in such crossings,” said Facebook user TL Oon. (As) “inconvenient it may be, it will save the cyclists’ lives. See too many of the cyclists just missing being hit by the alertness of drivers.”
A netizen also highlighted that pedestrians on zebra crossings should practice extra caution and give motorists more time to stop. /TISG
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