Youth cyclists filmed ignoring helmet rules, performing stunt in Sembawang and on Cantonment Road
Under Singapore's road rules, cyclists must wear helmets and fixed-gear bicycles are required to have at least one working handbrake.
Screenshots from videos showing two separate incidents of youth cyclists riding without helmets in Sembawang (left) and on Cantonment Road (right). (Images: Instagram/sgfollowsall)
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In two separate viral videos, young cyclists are seen riding without helmets, swerving and performing a stunt downhill, raising questions about their reckless behaviour as road users.
In the first clip posted on Sunday (Jan 25), two boys are riding what appear to be fixed-gear bicycles along Cantonment Road near the Tanjong Pagar district, one of them without a helmet.
Fixed-gear bicycles typically rely on pedal resistance to slow down and may not have hand-operated brakes.
One rider swerves out from the leftmost lane at an uphill junction, and both are later seen in the middle of the three-lane road by the end of the video.
A second clip posted the same day shows five young cyclists in Sembawang, none of them wearing helmets.
One of the riders goes downhill with his legs lifted off the pedals and his body held parallel to the ground in a stunt resembling what viewers described as "Superman" flying.
Some social media users found the videos amusing or applauded their bravado, but others were appalled by their unthinking behaviour and lack of concern for the danger they pose to themselves and other road users.
In response to the Cantonment Road cyclists, an Instagram user posted an image of a brain located at a human skeleton's backside.
Another asked why children "like to play with their life on the road" and if they thought about how their parents would feel should they be killed while riding.
One wrote: "What the kids need are proper helmets, front and rear lights and good cycling habits. Some of these bad cycling habits endanger themselves and others."
Under Singapore's road rules, cyclists are required to wear helmets while on the road, with first-time offenders liable for a fine of up to S$1,000 (US$788) or up to three months' jail, or both.
Fixed-gear bicycles must be equipped with at least one working handbrake on top of the pedal-resistance braking system.
CNA has reached out to the police for comment regarding the videos.
