Traffic accidents affect the wellbeing and safety of literally every man, woman and child in Singapore because everyone at one time or another is a driver, passenger or pedestrian.
According to the Road Accident Statistics Singapore 2022,
– There were 5,473 road accidents involving injuries in 2020
– 85 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2020
– Elderly pedestrians accounted for half of all pedestrian fatalities. (1 in 2 accidents involving elderly pedestrians was due to jaywalking)
– Motorcyclists and pillion riders account for about 1 in 2 of overall road fatalities
– 73% of heavy vehicle drivers speed when traffic is light
– Singapore’s road fatality rate of 1.49 per 100,000 citizens is higher than Japan, UK, Australia and Canada.
Further, according to a data released by Traffic Police in 14 Feb 2022, fatal road accidents as well as road fatalities has increased in 2021, with 100 cases of fatal accidents were logged, up from 80 in 2020. Cases of red-light running, speeding-related, as well as drink-driving accidents all experiencing year-on-year increases
In a small city country like Singapore and people having high demand of owning a car, it is important for every driver to play a part to prevent traffic accident from happening, especially fatal accident. Safe driving can be measured in terms of quantity and quality. A unit of driving is the trip. This is measured in terms of the distance between the point where you get into your vehicle and drive to your destination.
The trip can be long or short, but it is the quality of the trip that is important. This also can be simply measured. The trip can be perfect or less than perfect. Perfect driving means that you complete every trip without ACCIDENTS, without TRAFFIC OFFENCES, without VEHICLE ABUSE, without excessive TIMETABLE DELAYS and without DISCOURTESY.
Perfect driving involved the ability to operate a motor vehicle in such a manner as to avoid being involved in a PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT. Most accidents are preventable by one or both of the drivers involved, even though this sometimes involves letting the driver in the wrong have the right of way.
The ideas that most accident are preventable makes it important to distinguish between the POSSIBLE and REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS a motorist can take to avoid being involved in a traffic mishap. The most obvious possible precaution would not to drive at all, but that’s not a reasonable solution. Only by practicing Defensive Driving, then you will be aware of the various REASONABLE precautions that relate to driving and how to apply them.
Though the accident rate in Singapore can be considered low as compared to some other countries, but one fatal road accident is still too many. The Traffic Police of Singapore has committed to continuing to operate according to its three-pronged strategy – education, engagement, and enforcement – to keep our roads safer.