What to do if I am involved in a traffic accident with a road cyclist?

In an article with Today Online, Chooi Jing Yen explained about the possibility of legal action arising from a collision between a cyclist and a motor vehicle.

After a recent incident along Upper Thomson Road involving two groups of cyclists that resulted in a man being hospitalised, questions about riding etiquette and the safety of road cyclists have been thrust back to the foreground of public discourse.

In Today Online’s article, avid cyclists and the Singapore Cycling Federation were interviewed and shared their perspectives on education and safety for road cyclists. Lawyers were also interviewed on the possible legal action(s) that could arise from a collision between a cyclist and another road user, such as a motorist, pedestrian, or another cyclist.

Legal suits involving collisions between cyclists need evidence to determine liability for damages. Such evidence could, for example, be retrieved from the dashcams of cars that captured the accident in question.

In particular, Jing Yen emphasised that cyclists do not have mandatory insurance, like car owners, and so the way to get compensation is through legal action. He also outlined two ways cyclists can pursue legal action if they have been involved in an accident:

• Pursue a civil suit against the opposing party
• File a police report for investigation

Where an injured party chooses to make a criminal report, the opposing party might choose to mitigate their sentence by offering compensation.

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Disclaimer: This article is not to be taken as legal advice. If you have been involved in a traffic accident and require some advice, please contact us for any queries.