Amy Khor: Tampines Ave Junctions designed to international safety standards

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor stated during a parliamentary session on Tuesday (7 May) that the junction of Tampines Ave 1 and Tampines Ave 4, where a six-vehicle crash took place, was designed with international safety standards in mind.

Khor was responding to inquiries from Poh Li San, PAP MP for Sembawang GRC  regarding the measures the Land Transport Authority (LTA) intends to implement to enhance traffic safety provisions at the junction where the accident took place.

The accident, which occurred on 22 April, resulted in the loss of two lives: a 17-year-old student, who was a passenger in one of the cars involved, and a 57-year-old woman, who was in the van.

The driver responsible for the crash has been charged and is currently out on $30k bail, electronically tagged.

Khor reassured Parliament that the Tampines junction provides a sufficient line of sight for road users, with appropriate road kerbs, lane markings, and arrow indicators installed conspicuously.

She highlighted the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) ongoing efforts to enhance road safety, including the implementation of Red-Amber-Green (RAG) arrows at over 1,200 traffic junctions since 2018.

“Junctions with RAG arrows have shown a 40 per cent reduction in traffic accidents. The work is ongoing, and will extend to more traffic junctions,” she said.

The LTA’s initiative is ongoing and will extend to more traffic junctions in the future.

Furthermore, Khor detailed the implementation of 371 School Zones and 40 Silver Zones as of 2023, strategically placed near schools and areas with higher populations of senior residents.

School Zones feature designated crossing facilities, coloured pavements, and traffic signs, while Silver Zones incorporate reduced speed limits, additional crossings, and speed bumps.

Khor noted that Silver Zones have contributed to an impressive 80% reduction in accident rates among senior pedestrians.

Faishal Ibrahim: Dangerous driving penalties in Singapore adequate

Following a tragic accident in Tampines concerns over road safety prompted Members of Parliament to raise over 10 questions regarding penalties for reckless driving and speeding under the Road Traffic Act (RTA).

In response, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, provided insights on Tuesday, noting that penalties were last significantly adjusted in 2019.

He outlined penalties for dangerous driving causing death, with imprisonment ranging from two to eight years for first-time offenders and up to 15 years for repeat offenders, accompanied by a minimum 10-year driving disqualification.

Faishal highlighted recent efforts by the Traffic Police (TP) to activate speed enforcement functions in red-light cameras across accident-prone areas, resulting in over 800 speeding violations detected within three weeks.

Despite overall improvements in road safety, Faishal expressed concern over a 12% increase in fatal accidents, reaching 131 in 2023.

However, he noted a positive trend over five years, with accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities decreasing by approximately 10%.

Citing statistics, Faishal attributed the leading causes of fatal accidents between 2019 and 2023 to failure to maintain proper lookout and control of vehicles.

He emphasized enforcement measures, revealing an average of three fatal accidents annually investigated for reckless or dangerous driving causing death, and 29 fatal accidents linked to speeding.

Faishal also highlighted initiatives to promote responsible driving behaviour, such as the Safe Driving Course, allowing eligible motorists to expunge four demerit points upon completion.