A tow-truck, a bus, a motorbike, a nurse, a man in a wheelchair, a lorry, three cars. News reports on traffic accidents in Singapore makes sober reading.
“A series of accidents have occurred on Singapore's roads recently, with many resulting in death or injury to those involved, while also inconveniencing other road users and motorists.” asiaone.com
Every day, every person, every vehicle makes the road in Singapore safer, or less safe. A driver that impulsively changes lanes without signaling, a truck that cuts across three lanes of traffic to make a tight turn. Someone speeding up to beat the red light. We’ve all seen this kind of behavior, and we have all probably witnessed the terrible accidents it causes.
Want To Make Our Roads Safer?
The mission of Singapore Traffic Police (TP), along with the Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) is to drive traffic accidents down to zero. Here are 5 things you can do to reduce dangerous driving in Singapore today.
1. Stay Sober Drink driving is a crime. Even at low levels, alcohol reduces reaction time and lowers inhibitions, which can cause drivers to make unwise choices. The mild inconvenience of taking a taxi or sharing a sober friend’s car home, is nothing compared to the disastrous consequences of driving drunk.
2. Watch Your Speed The US Traffic Safety Administration explains the consequences of speeding in stark terms -
"Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. In 2008, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes, and 11,674 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes."
The statistics don’t lie in Asia either - excess speed kills. If you need to get somewhere in record time, there is one safe solution: Leave earlier.
3. Stay Focused Eating, touching up makeup, talking and texting while driving are a big deal. One researcher found that the reaction time of a 20-year-old driver talking on a cell phone was comparable with that of 70-year-old. What's more, using a hand phone while driving can delay you reaction times by 20 percent.
4. Don’t Zzzzone Out If you drift off to sleep while driving, the chances are you will drift over or into something undesirable like the side of the road, a tree or another car. Drowsiness affects your ability to focus and, at high speed this can be fatal. If you feel at all sleepy while driving, take a break or have someone else drive for a while.
5. Belt Up Even at low speeds, a studden stop can fling an unbelted person hard against a seat or through a window screen. Industry experts attribute a large percentage of all fatal accidents to this one fact: the person was not wearing a seatbelt. And, says the NHTSA, proper seatbelts are crucial for young people as “a staggering 70 percent of fatal crash victims between the ages of 13 and 15 weren't wearing seat belts.”