Save your brain, put that helmet on

Live harder, live longer

Another fatal cycling accident that could have been avoided by wearing of helmets was reported in Singapores Sunday Times on 16 July 2006 (see an excerpt of the article below). The intention of this petition is to plea to make helmet wearing mandatory in Singapore.

Some countries have already adopted laws to force cyclists to wear helmets for their own safety. To see an overview of those countries (and states in the US) see the following URL:
http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm#international

Having a law on helmets for bike riders will also mean the bicycle rental operators in Singapore are liable to provide proper helmets with their rental bikes.

It may not be fashionable looking, or comfortable in the hot weather, but wearing the helmet could possibly save your life. We hope to have your support, please sign the petition and let your friends know about it, so that we can collect as many signatures as possible to give power to our statement.

This petition will be submitted to the Land and Transport Authorities and the Traffic Police in Singapore on 1 September 2006 at noon (GMT +8 hours).

Victor Yeoh
Embarkz.com


The Sunday Times @ July 16 2006
ITE student dies after Pulau Ubin cycling accident

A biomedical student from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Simei died after she fell off her bicycle and hit her head while cycling in Pulau Ubin.

Zawiyah Mohd Muliana,18, suffered cuts and bruises but had seemed all right immediately after the fall, only to faint minutes later, slip into a coma and die.

Zaiwiyah went to Ubin for a cycling trip with 12 of her schoolmates on Tuesday. Though she was a regular cyclist, cycling in Ubin was her first for her.

According to police, Zawiyah lost control of her bicycle along Jalan Watsiam on the island. She veered off the road and fell from her bicycle.
She picked herself up and appeared to be suffering only from cuts and bruises around her mouth, and on her forehead and hands, friends with her had said. But she fainted minutes later.

She was ferried back to the mainland and rushed to Changi General Hospital at around 1pm where it was revealed that she had a blood clot in her brain which needed immediate surgery.

Her parents, Madam Zubaidah Mawar, 43, a canteen stall assistant, and Mr Mohd Muliana Selamat, 44, a Singapore Civil Defence Force officer, were initially not too worried about the surgery.

Madam Zubaidah said: " I thought it would be a simple operation, since my daughter only fell from the bicycle."

In a coma, and on life support, Zawiyah was admitted into the intensive care unit after surgery where her family, friends and teachers from ITE Simei held vigil by her besides all night.

She died Wednesday morning, 20 hours after going into a coma. Her funeral was on Thursday.

Madam Zubaidah, who has two other children aged 15 and 17, said yesterday: " I mourn the loss of my only daughter but I accept that it is part of destiny that only God can determine. I would rather her go now than be in pain her entire life."

Nur Amira Abdul Karim