Several cyclists were caught in a chain collision whilst plying the Keppel viaduct on Sunday, April 7.
One of the cyclists, one Jérôme Limozin, uploaded a video of the crash on YouTube.
Here it is.
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In the video, it can be seen that cyclists were riding in a single file smoothly.
At the 0:49 second mark, one of the cyclists — who was around three bikes ahead of Limozin — suddenly falls to his side, causing the other cyclists to collide into him.
According to his description on the video, it's not clear what or who caused the crash.
But two cyclists, he wrote, ended up with fractures and were taken to hospital, while others suffered bruises and cuts. Limozin said he had a few superficial skin wounds, but his bike frame was damaged in the crash.
The video of the collision was reposted onto the Facebook page SG Kay Poh.
Netizens gleeful
People commenting on the video weren't so sympathetic of their situation, however:
Some said much worse things:
Some, however, wondered if cyclists are even allowed to be on a viaduct like this at all.
Bicycles allowed on viaducts
According to a guide published by the Land Transport Authority, the main rule governing cycling in groups is that there should be a maximum of two cyclists side by side, unless a third is overtaking (see number 2):
However, there are of course roads (expressways, actually) which bicycles cannot ride on, according to the Road Traffic Act.
These include:
- Ayer Rajah Expressway
- Bukit Timah Expressway
- Central Expressway
- East Coast Parkway
- Kallang Paya Lebar Expressway
- Kranji Expressway
- Marina Coastal Expressway
- Pan Island Expressway
- Seletar Expressway
- Tampines Expressway
Cyclists are also not allowed to ride in tunnels, including the Fort Canning Tunnel, Woodsville Tunnel and Sentosa Gateway Tunnel.
In conclusion, it is perfectly legal and acceptable for cyclists to travel on viaducts.
However, viaducts are understandably more dangerous, given that drivers often treat them as expressways and travel faster, not usually actively looking out for cyclists.
As far as rules go, though, the group of cyclists in this incident abided by all applicable regulations: keeping to a single file or at most pairs in a group that has more than three cyclists (unless overtaking), wearing the proper attire and riding in an orderly manner.
Hopefully the cyclists who were injured in the accident recover soon.
Top image via Jérôme Limozin's YouTube video
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