Hopefully this will serve as a warning to cyclists. Don't always expect cars to give way to you hor!
Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013
The New Paper
By Lynette Tan
SINGAPORE - Four years ago, Mr Yang Changxing was leading a group of cyclists on a leisure ride in Jurong when a car ran into him at a junction.
Mr Yang, 52, thought he had the right of way, but the car made the U-turn anyway and collided into him.
He injured his collarbone and had to be hospitalised for a week. He was also blinded in the left eye and underwent eye surgery.
With his sight fully restored and his collarbone fixed, Mr Yang, a technical specialist in a shipping firm, continues to cycle regularly but is more careful.
He will be one of about 1,000 cyclists attending Safe Cycling Day on Sunday. The event is organised by OCBC Bank as a part of a public outreach programme on cycling.
The theme of this year's campaign is "Respect".
When asked about drivers in Singapore, Mr Yang said in Mandarin: "Many drivers are very inconsiderate, they overtake you and cut into your lane suddenly, without any regard for your safety.
"I was unable to cycle for three months and even now, the vision in my left eye is not as good as it once was. My right arm is also weaker due to the collarbone injury. I am unable to lift heavy objects."
Mr Yang also revealed that he had fallen three times while jogging due to his poor vision.
Although he still cycles regularly in the mornings, Mr Yang is much more cautious, especially of cars which try to overtake him.
The OCBC Safe Cycling campaign aims to reduce the frequency of such incidents by raising the awareness of road users about how best to use the roads.
At Sunday's event, cyclists will be wearing jerseys sporting the word "Respect" and will set off for various locations islandwide to spread the message.
Members of the public can also collect free jerseys from 6am to 8am on Sunday from the Longhouse coffee shop in Upper Thomson Road.
Mr Chris Robb, managing director of event management company Spectrum Worldwide, which helped organise the Safe Cycling Campaign, said: "Last year, the key focus of the campaign was to encourage motorists and cyclists to maintain a 1.5m separation when travelling on the roads, but this year we have shifted our emphasis to 'Respect'.
