He rode like he had a death wish

He rode like he had a death wish

From the moment he took off from the traffic lights at the Stevens Road intersection with Dunearn Road, he was on a charge.

A quick calculation of distance and time gave an average speed of 108kmh. I know this because I took the same route yesterday.

The distance from Stevens Road to the speed camera on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) is about 10km.

By the time he rode past the speed camera, which took 5min 31sec, I had just reached the BKE.

I kept to the roads' legal limits, giving me an average speed of 67kmh in mid-afternoon traffic conditions. Honestly, I did not want to risk my safety - or anyone else's - on the roads.

RISKS

The rider took many risks.

While entering the Pan-Island Expressway from Stevens Road, he took a wide turn and cut across double white lines into the filtering lane without looking at his mirrors or turning his head to check his blind spot.

As he merged with traffic on the PIE, he cut across to the extreme right lane.

All this while, his helmet-mounted camera continued to point forward.

He checked his blindspot only three times at most.

He was a danger to himself and to other motorists with his aggressive riding.

He rode too close to vehicles ahead or next to him instead of keeping a safe distance.

In some instances, he revved his engine to intimidate others who were too slow for his taste.

At a race track, his quick-accelerating moves may be regarded as skill. On our public roads, it is just a death wish.


This article was first published on October 17, 2015.
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