Speeding motorists will soon find it harder to slip past the authorities, with 20 digital speed cameras to be installed at 11 locations around Singapore by the end of the year.
Six of the 11 locations already have mobile speed laser cameras, while the remaining five have no speed cameras. The colourfully-painted digital speed cameras, which will complement the mobile speed laser cameras, are able to operate around the clock, even during inclement weather. These cameras will also have enhanced capabilities to better identify speeding vehicles.
This was announced by the Traffic Police today (Jan 29), as it revealed that there has been a 6.5 per cent increase in speeding violations, adding that the offence is the major cause of fatal and injury accidents.
There were 278,545 accidents last year with 42 related fatalities, up from 261,540 in 2013 with 39 fatalities.
Describing the offence as “one of the very bad habits motorists (in Singapore) have”, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sam Tee, the Traffic Police Commander, said the police are working harder to reduce the number of speeding violations.
The police are also continuing with the replacement of film red light cameras with digital ones, with 30 more to be up by Sept 30, adding to the 120 already in place.
There were 971,871 vehicles on the road last year. The number of fatal traffic accidents and fatalities, which has been on a downward trend, has dipped. There were 149 fatal accidents last year, compared with 150 in 2013, while the number of fatalities fell to 154 from 160 in 2013. In 2012 and 2011, there were 162 and 192 fatal accidents, respectively.
The number of fatal accidents that involve running the red light also fell last year to four from eight in 2013.
Other concerns raised by the Traffic Police include the increase in the number of elderly pedestrians killed on the road — from 17 in 2013 to 25 last year. These were mainly caused by motorists who were not alert and turning vehicles that failed to give way to pedestrians when traffic lights were in the favour of pedestrians.
And of the 25 elderly pedestrian fatalities recorded last year, seven occurred while they were jaywalking.
AC Tee said this is an area of serious concern, given Singapore’s ageing population. He said more efforts would be put into educating the elderly on how to look after themselves on the road.
“The hearing and observation skills (of the elderly) are different from those who are more able bodied. We also urge road users to pay more attention to them,” he said.
There were fewer persons arrested for drink-driving last year following a step up in enforcement operations — from 3,019 in 2013 to 2,954 last year — but the number of injury accidents rose 2.5 per cent, from 7,598 cases in 2013 to 7,791 cases last year. The number of fatal accidents due to drink-driving dipped from 14 to 10 cases last year.
The number of motorcyclists and pillion riders injured in accidents rose 5.7 per cent to 4,631 last year.
AC Tee said motorists must realise that every traffic rule violation poses a danger to themselves and to other road users.
Here’s where the digital speed cameras will be:
AYE towards City
AYE towards Jurong
Boon Lay Way towards Commonwealth Avenue West
Boon Lay Way towards Jalan Boon Way
Bukit Batok Road towards Chua Chu Kang Road
Bukit Batok Road towards Jurong Town Hall Road
BKE towards PIE
BKE towards Woodlands
Holland Road towards Farrer Road
Holland Road towards Grange Road
Loyang Avenue towards Tampines Avenue 7
PIE towards ECP
PIE towards Tuas
SLE towards BKE
SLE towards CTE
Upper Thomson Road towards Lornie Road
Upper Thomson Road towards Sembawang Road
Yishun Avenue 1 towards Lentor Avenue
Yishun Avenue 2 towards Lentor Avenue
Yishun Avenue 2 towards Sembawang Road
Source:www.todayonline.com
