Beware dangers of night cycling

Beware dangers of night cycling

Cycling enthusiast Bjorn Wong was cycling at night along a quiet stretch of Seletar Club Road last September.

Visibility was low and he did not see a road bump, which launched his bike into the air. He ended up crashing into metal railings at the side of the road, and suffered an open gash on his left arm and a deep laceration to his upper lip.

Mr Wong, 25, who is the editor of cycling-community website Togoparts.com, was lucky. He was wearing a helmet which protected him from more serious injuries. His bike was also equipped with front and rear lights to warn motorists of his presence on the road.

But cycling groups here say that cycling safety awareness, especially at night, is not commonplace.

Police statistics show that more than 450 cyclists are injured in road accidents annually, and more than 10 die in a year.

Many cycling groups, like Joyriders and Five-O, have observed a rise in membership, with Joyriders noting a 200-member increase and Five-O doubling its membership to 80 cyclists over the last two years.

Five-O founder Chris De Souza, 59, said: "Many newbie cyclists are not familiar with the correct equipment to use and the correct attire."

Cycling groups typically start riding in the mornings around 5am, or at night, after 9pm, where the lack of visibility can be a safety issue, said Mr Than Chen Munn, 36, director of a traffic-consultancy firm.

They choose to do so because of lighter road-traffic conditions and cooler air.

"When cycling at night, cyclists are impeded by the lack of light, which diminishes their senses, making them more vulnerable," he said.

To help educate cyclists on night-cycling safety, four students from Nanyang Technological University are organising Singapore's first night-cycling safety initiative to be held in East Coast Park and Changi Coast Road on Saturday.

The group is partnering the organisers of regional charity ride Firefly Night Race for the 30km event, called See and Be Seen Night Ride. The event aims to promote the importance of the five Cs clear lights, comfortable helmets, colourful clothes, a cautious attitude and constant hydration.

About 270 cyclists have signed up. Mr Marcus Yong, 25, the student-team leader, said: "We hope to spread cycling safety awareness and, next year, we want to expand (the event) to involve more people and have an islandwide park-connector- linked route."

~News courtesy of Omy~