Rise in dangerous incidents involving young boys on bikes
We have received comments from drivers that young boys approximately between the age of 11 and 14 are participating in the very dangerous practice of playing ‘chicken’ on their bicycles. This is mainly occuring on the roads between Kincora Road and the seafront. There was a particularly bad incident on Sunday 27th February on Kincora Road when a boy rode straight off the footpath in the path of an oncoming car while his friends looked on laughing. Fortunately the driver was able to stop but was very shaken, while the youth just rode off and laughed at a pedestrian who commented on the incident.
This was by no means an isolated incident as we have received several other comments and it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident. We have also been asked to point out that it is extremely dangerous to ride a bicycle along the top of the sea wall on the promenade as has been observed recently on a few occasions.
We would urge parents of young people with bicycles to speak to them about the importance of safe use of the road and the respect due to other road users.