Teens ride bikes dangerously at ongoing traffic in Creggan

by Gráinne Connolly

Parents in Derry/Londonderry are being urged to speak to their children about bicycle safety, when they're out and about.

It follows an incident in the Creggan and Bogside area, where a group of teenagers were spotted riding dangerously towards oncoming traffic.

Local councillor Kevin Campbell says in this case, they "narrowly avoided" an accident: 

“Several residents in Creggan contacted me about young people dangerously riding their bicycles in groups across the path of oncoming vehicles and on number of recent occasions just by sheer luck accidents have been narrowly avoided.

“On most of these occasions the young people were riding mountain type bikes, had no lights nor were wearing safety gear.

"From what these residents have told me it seems to be a dare or bravado in carrying out these actions.

“I had a personal experience on Friday night past, when three young lads on mountains bikes cut across front the car I was travelling down Westland Street in and they were away in a matter of seconds.

"It left all of us in the car in a bit of shock of what could have been if the car had hit any of them.

“I am making an appeal to parents if your teenage son or daughter has a bike ,has it lights?, is your child getting caught  up in such incidents?.

"We all know it only takes seconds for an accident to occur and if this appeal prevents one accident or saves a life it will be worth it.