Hong Kong man dies, woman injured in 2 separate cycling accidents, prompting safety warning on travelling downhill
- Man, 27, died after reportedly losing control while cycling downhill along Lam Kam Road
- In separate accident, a woman, 55, lost control and fell when riding downhill near a reservoir at Mui Tsz Lam
Two separate cycling accidents that left a man dead and a woman hospitalised in Hong Kong have prompted calls for riders to slow down or dismount when travelling downhill.
Police are investigating a fatal accident in Pat Heung in which a 27-year-old man died after cycling downhill along Lam Kam Road towards Yuen Long at 12.48pm on Friday and reportedly losing control.
He fell to the ground and sustained head injuries. The man was rushed to hospital unconscious and certified dead later.
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Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about the accident to contact them on 3661 3800.
In another accident at 11am on Saturday, a woman cyclist, 55, lost control and fell to the ground after riding downhill near a reservoir at Mui Tsz Lam in Ma On Shan.
She sustained injuries to her forehead and legs and was later hospitalised.
Lobo Louie Hung-tak, associate head of the Education University of Hong Kong’s department of health and physical education, said riding a bike downhill could be very risky with amateurs prone to accidents.
“It is not uncommon for amateur cyclists to have a bike crash when going downhill. It happens time and again,” he said.
“When going downhill, bicycle riders must have the skill to control the bike and slow down, otherwise it is easy to crash.
“If necessary, riders should dismount ... and walk instead to minimise the risk.”
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Louie also advised cyclists to receive proper training before taking to the road, and especially to learn about making turns, going downhill and riding in dangerous spots.
“A lot of cyclists ignore the importance of learning the right skill and right attitude for riding a bicycle,” he said.
“They think they can master the skill easily through self-learning and ignore safety dos and don’ts.”
In 2022, 2,224 road traffic accidents involved bicycles, causing 2,089 cyclist casualties. In 2019, 1,738 such accidents with 1,625 casualties were reported.
