Drunk drivers and jaywalking senior citizens appear to be the most notorious road users in Singapore, a recent survey by the traffic police showed.
Drink-driving accidents recorded a huge spike last year while perceptions towards elderly pedestrians worsened, with some even admitting to jaywalking or crossing traffic light junctions when it was not yet time to do so. Half of the fatal accidents that involved elderly pedestrians were also linked to jaywalking, according to the survey.
“Our roads are safer, but we can still do better, especially in correcting our own bad behaviour,” said Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development. He was speaking at a virtual event on road safety yesterday.
Overall traffic accidents that led to death were reduced from 118 in 2019 to 85 last year, partly due to pandemic restrictions and more people working from home. However, the number of fatal drink-driving accidents shot up by 86%, which was a “serious cause for concern,” Muhammad Faishal said. Motorcyclists continue to be disproportionately involved in accidents.
The traffic police also interviewed 500 respondents on their perceptions about road users, including cyclists and truck drivers, many of whom said that more cars – especially taxis and private-hire drivers – were giving way to vulnerable road users and signaling early. Nearly 40% of the elderly interviewed admitted to unsafe road use behaviors.
Others mentioned senior citizens rarely checking for traffic at zebra crossings, motorcyclists not donning proper gear, cyclists checking their phones while traveling, and cars speeding up when traffic lights turn amber.
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