Newsroom
A video showing a man with a child on a bicycle entering a round-about is raising a number of questions, as another vehicle appears to come very close in what could be a very dangerous situation.
Reaction Cyprus, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working for society and youth safety, posted a video Monday night showing a man on a bicycle approaching and entering the large roundabout next to Nicosia General Hospital, during what appears to be afternoon time with somewhat heavy traffic.
A young boy was also on the bicycle sitting on the lower backseat behind the man, whom the NGO described as an “irresponsible father” while both are seen wearing bicycle helmets and the child is seen wearing a bright, orange safety vest.
Dangerous maneuvre
As the father enters the round-about at a slow but steady speed, moments later another vehicle from his right comes close and appears to slow down to avoid a collision. The father-and-son duo continue on their path forward and the car is then seen to take the exit without an incident.
It is unclear from the posted video footage whether the father had priority and was simply slow to accelerate or if he should have yielded first
It is not clear in the video whether the vehicle had priority to enter the roundabout, but if it had arrived at the yield line before the father arrived at his line, then the vehicle would have priority. However, the video doesn’t show the full details, and it is unclear whether the father had priority to enter and was simply slow to accelerate or if he should have yielded first to the vehicle on the right.
The rules clearly require that all traffic must slow down before entering as well as yield to vehicles already inside the roundabout which are coming from the right.
Other general guidelines also require that car drivers be mindful and exercise caution in the presence of bicycles on the road, but it is not clear how this should translate when non-motorised vehicles enter a large roundabout in heavy city traffic.
Members of the public and social media users began commenting on the video, putting blame mainly on the father for risking the life of his child.
