Man Rides Across Penang Bridge In 140 Seconds, Gets Arrested

It would be a lie if we said that these unusually empty roads aren’t a joy to drive when we’re heading out to buy essentials. No traffic jams, less risk of inattentive drivers, no lane hoggers – it’s almost like a driving utopia if you can forget that there’s a life threatening virus going around. But some people are perhaps taking it a little too far – and putting their exploits on Facebook as well.

A couple of days ago, a man in Penang was arrested by the police for reckless and dangerous driving. The evidence against him was compelling and provided voluntarily through a Facebook video where he rode across the Penang bridge in 140 seconds, hitting a top speed of 261 kilometres per hour on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 396.

All of this came about as most reckless things do – through a clash of egos. The man supposedly performed this stunt in response to a video from another rider who claimed he crossed the Penang Bridge in 3 minutes and 10 seconds, hitting a top speed of 370 km/h. We can almost guarantee that this will become a record that amateur riders will try to beat at the risk of injuring themselves and others.

What was the potential punishment for his crime? Jail time of up to five years, and a fine of between RM 5,000 and RM 15,000. If he commits the offense a second time, that jail time can be for up to ten years and a fine of between RM 10,000 and RM 20,000. Suffice to say he won’t be attempting something like this any time soon.

Most of us have done some pretty dumb things in our youth, but the important thing is to outgrow it as quickly as you can before you end up injuring or killing someone. In a time like this, you want to avoid having to go to a hospital as much as you can – both for the benefit of the hospital staff, and to avoid potentially contracting COVID-19 yourself. Stay safe on the roads.