Who's at fault? GrabFood rider falls off bike while avoiding reversing vehicle in HDB car park

A GrabFood rider ran into a speed bump during his delivery rounds when he nearly collided with a reversing vehicle in a HDB car park.

Dashcam footage from the vehicle involved in the incident was posted on Facebook group Singapore roads accident.com on Wednesday (June 12). 

In the 59-second video, a Grabfood rider on a bicycle is seen heading in the direction of the vehicle, which is backing up into a parking lot.

Spotting the vehicle, the rider speeds up in an attempt to pass through before the car goes into the lot.

However, the driver appears to be caught offguard and only manages to stop at the last minute.

This causes the rider to lose his balance and fall onto the grass patch beside the lot. Food packets also tumble out of the bag that was attached to the back of his bicycle.

The driver is heard uttering an expletive.

The rider, although expressing slight discomfort, gets up immediately. He limps slightly as two passers-by help him pick up the food packets and his bicycle.

The driver also gets out of his vehicle to check on the rider. He gestures animatedly at the latter before walking back to his vehicle.

Who is in the wrong?

The video has divided netizens over who was to blame for the incident.

Some believe the rider was at fault.

One netizen commented: "The driver began reversing only after confirming that the path was clear. At that moment, the driver was focusing on the side mirrors to manoeuvre into the parking spot.

"The cyclist, on the other hand, rode straight into the car without paying attention to his surroundings."

Another wrote: "It's very silly to go behind a car that's reversing, be it cyclist or pedestrian."

Other netizens felt that the driver did not do his due diligence to check his surroundings before reversing.

One Facebook user wrote: "I think it's the driver's fault. He just moved forward to align his vehicle [with the parking lot] and immediately proceeded... without checking [his] blind spot."

There were also some netizens who blamed both parties for the near collision.

"Both at fault. The cam car (driver) needs to be aware of its surroundings, while the Grab (rider) should stop after seeing that the cam car is reversing," said one netizen.

ALSO READ: 'Road rage can have tragic consequences': Video of altercation between BMW driver and cyclist sparks debate

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com