Forum: More measures needed to protect seniors on the roads

I refer to reports on the alarming surge in traffic accidents involving the elderly (

Injuries, deaths on Singapore’s roads rise in H1 2025; accidents due to red-light violations also up

, Aug 29).

The statistics are sobering: In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 15 elderly pedestrian fatalities, a 150 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2024. Seniors account for nearly 80 per cent of all pedestrian deaths in the period reported. We cannot treat this lightly.

As Singapore approaches “super-aged” status, our road infrastructure and safety culture must evolve faster, as the recent data suggests current measures are insufficient.

I recommend three solutions.

First, we must rethink speed limits in residential heartland areas. Studies globally show that a pedestrian’s survival rate drops significantly when struck by a vehicle travelling above 30kmh.

While Silver Zones already mandate this limit, many arterial roads cutting through estates like Bukit Batok and Tampines still allow speeds of 50kmh or 60kmh. We should consider expanding the 30kmh limit to all high-density residential zones, not just designated Silver Zones.

Second, we must tackle the root cause of jaywalking. Enforcement will help, but design is more effective.

For an elderly person with weak knees or laden with groceries, walking an extra 200m to a traffic light requires more time and effort. We should install more frequent “pedestrian priority” zones with raised intersections or speed tables where vehicles naturally slow down.

Finally, education must go beyond posters. We need targeted, on-ground engagement at wet markets, coffee shops and void decks – places where seniors congregate. We must help them understand that their reflexes and judgment of speed may have declined, making “habitual” jaywalking far more dangerous for them now than it was 20 years ago.

By working with educational institutions for such outreach efforts, we can co-create solutions as a community.

Let us redesign our streets and prioritise the safety of our most vulnerable road users.

Melvin Goh Kwang Hua