Woman Fail to Check Blind Spot When Changing Lanes, Killed Motorcyclist, Fined $7000

SINGAPORE – A woman who ran over and killed a motorcyclist after failing to check her blind spot while changing lanes was fined $7,000 on Tuesday.

Client relations officer Norizah Samad, 31, was also banned from driving for five years after admitting causing the death of Mr Muhammad Shaheen Abdullah, 32, through her negligence.

She had been driving in the left lane of Bedok North Street 3 – a one-way, two-lane road – last Oct 29 when she tried to filter into the right lane after a right bend.

After checking her rear view and right side mirrors, she turned her head to the right and signalled right before proceeding to filter. But she failed to properly check her blind spot and did not see the victim’s scooter travelling in the right lane beside her car.

She only spotted him after half of her vehicle had entered the right lane – but by then it was too late and the car hit the victim’s scooter, causing the victim to be flung off his machine and land in front of her car.

Despite jamming on her brakes, she could not stop the car from running over the victim and going up the right kerb.

Norizah’s lawyer Rajan Nair said his client, a mother of two, was an “occasional driver”, having obtained her driving licence four years ago.

He said she does not intend to drive again.

Norizah could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death through a negligent act.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/mother-two-fined-7000-causing-fatal-motor-scooter-accident-2014082