Protection of cyclists

Abstract

According to LTA, every HDB town will have its own cycling network by the year 2030. These cycling paths will connect commuters from their homes to bus terminals, MRT stations, and nearby facilities such as markets, school and shopping centres. Besides constructing an extensive network of cycling lanes, the LTA is supplementing the network with supporting cycling facilities to improve safety and connectivity, and encourage more Singaporeans to choose cycling as their mode of transportation. With these majors cycling projects ahead, the numbers of cyclists in Singapore is expected to grow in the coming years and there is a likelihood that cycling would become a preferred mode of transportation for short distance commute. However, statistics from Singapore Traffic Police Headquarters revealed that road traffic accidents involving cyclists has increased exponentially over the years and this trend is expected to continue with a larger cyclist population in the near future. To find out the how and why such accidents occurred, data from Singapore Traffic Police Headquarters were carefully examined. It was found that 70% of the accidents occurred at signalised junctions and slips roads. Up to 77% of the fatal accidents involved elderly cyclists. Foreign cyclists are prone to accidents due to the lack of safety awareness and good traffic practices. By shifting of pedestrian crossings out of signalised junction, pedestrians and cyclists will have the right of way and blind spots can be effectively minimised. Health screening programming can be proposed to certify the health status of elderly cyclists and restraining those with medical conditions from cycling on the roads. Similarly, cycling safety workshops can be proposed to carry out at foreigner worker dormitories with the aid of non-profit organisations to increase the safety awareness of foreign cyclists.