Child Riding Scooter Ends Up on Road, Almost Hit By Truck
Should his parents be held responsible?
Singapore's roads may be quieter than usual lately but several motorists in Yishun were greeted with a strange sight on Friday (May 15) evening: a child riding scooter.
The child riding a kick scooter along Yishun Avenue 8 was rescued by a cyclist, narrowly avoiding a collision with a truck, according to dashcam footage posted on Facebook.
The harrowing 30-second clip of the incident shows a small child riding a scooter in the middle of the three-lane road.
A cyclist, who had been travelling in the leftmost lane, veered right to grab the child, stopping the errant scooter rider.
Mere seconds later, a silver truck which had been heading towards the pair swerved, narrowly missing them.
Fortunately, the rest of the surrounding vehicles slowed down and gave way to the cyclist as he carried the child off the road to safety.
It is not known if the cyclist and the child, who both remain unidentified, knew each other.
The footage had netizens furious, many of whom left comments criticising the child's parents.
One wrote: "Should punish or jail the parents for negligence. Only sick in the brain person would leave his or her child unattended."
Another said: "Should hold parents responsible."
According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development, children require adult supervision around cars, roads and car parks until they are around 10 to 11 years old.
Personal mobility devices such as kick scooters are also not permitted on roads. First-time offenders face a fine of up to $2,000, three months in jail or both.
How To Keep Your Child Safe on Roads
Parents, it's always a good idea for kids to learn more about the proper way to cross a road and how to stay safe while navigating their way around on foot.
These basic rules from the Singapore Road Safety Council can help:
- Don’t jaywalk! Always cross at proper pedestrian crossings
- Be alert and watch out for oncoming traffic
- Use footpaths whenever possible
- Avoid crossing in front of or in between stationary vehicles
- Wait until the “green man” lights up before crossing
Lead image via Facebook/roadsafetysgroadsafety
This article was first published in AsiaOne, edited and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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