I was late for work the other day but I was not complaining. It took longer than expected to clear two traffic junctions because the “discretionary right turns” had been removed.

I am glad the Land Transport Authority has made this move to improve safety for road users, instead of maximising traffic green time.

Discretionary right turns don’t work when roads are getting wider, vehicles are getting more powerful, people are getting older and more impatient, and road users are getting more distracted by smartphones.

It would be good if the authorities could tabulate all past accidents with discretionary right turns as a contributing factor to compare how eliminating discretionary right turns has made our roads safer for all.

This way, we can use data to fine-tune our traffic system and convince all commuters it is worth sitting longer at traffic junctions if it means saving lives.

I’m convinced it is worth the wait.

Ong Khoon Keat