Cyclists Tailgate Container Lorry On West Coast Highway, Spark Safety Concerns

Cyclists Ride Closely Behind Lorry On West Coast Highway, Netizens Concerned If Vehicle Brakes

A TikTok clip of three cyclists sticking closely to a container truck on the West Coast Highway from 2021 has gone viral again, this time on Facebook.

While there’s no rule against cycling on the highway, the video has sparked safety concerns as the cyclists could get seriously injured if the lorry brakes suddenly.

Cyclists seen riding behind container lorry on West Coast Highway

The video was first uploaded by a TikTok user in Sep 2021.

In the 15-second clip, three cyclists wearing helmets can be seen riding behind a container lorry.

They appeared to be doing so deliberately as they stayed close behind the lorry despite having ample space in the two lanes on either side of it.

The lorry did not seem to be driving at high speed, and one of the cyclists had their tail light on.

When Facebook page Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road reshared the clip recently on 12 Sep, the post nearly went viral with over 670 shares at the time of writing.

Viewers also left countless comments expressing their concerns about the cyclists’ actions.

Video sparks concern for cyclists’ safety

Even in the original TikTok clip, many comments expressed their consternation over how closely the riders were sticking to the lorry’s back.

They noted that the cyclists might get seriously injured if the lorry brakes suddenly.

But some also pointed out that there were a few reasons the cyclists could have done so — for example, riding behind the lorry would apparently create a slipstream, allowing them to ride at higher speeds as there’s supposedly less air resistance.

This would also allow one to save energy while out riding as they wouldn’t need to pedal as hard.

Another possible reason could be to shield themselves from the heat.

Whatever their reason may have been, they should have adhered to the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) road cycling rules. In particular, the LTA’s guidelines state that cyclists should:

• Keep a safe distance behind moving vehicles
• Keep to a maximum length of five bicycles (and five cyclists) when riding in groups if riding in a single file, or 10 cyclists if riding two abreast

It’s unclear if anything transpired after the footage was recorded but we hope the cyclists made it to their destination safely. More importantly, we hope all cyclists are aware of the safe road cycling guidelines so they can ride safely.

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Featured image adapted from TikTok.