I was sad to read about the details of the death of five men in a car crash in Tanjong Pagar on Feb 13 last year. What was more disheartening was that the car had hit speeds of up to 181kmh, way beyond the 50kmh limit for that stretch of Tanjong Pagar Road (Drink-driver was speeding at up to 148kmh before crash, June 10).

Singapore's maximum speed limit is 90kmh, and vehicles should not be allowed to travel so much faster than that in the first place. If human error was the cause of this accident, could we alleviate the risk with simple mechanical and technological solutions?

Vehicles travelling on Singapore roads should be required to install a speed limiter that would be triggered when the vehicle is travelling beyond the speed limit of the road it is on.

Currently, a speed limiter is mandatory for heavy vehicles with a maximum laden weight exceeding 12,000kg and lorries with a maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500kg.

As Singapore moves towards smart urban mobility, there will soon be a lot of sensors around the island to monitor traffic and improve the commuting experience.

This technology could also be leveraged to help drivers maintain their speed within the speed limit of whatever road they are travelling on, since different speed limits apply on different roads and expressways.

For instance, vehicles could be fitted with devices that communicate with the sensors on the roads, or the devices could be the on-board units that are slated to replace the current in-vehicle units. With these devices, the speed controls could vary with the limits on the road. Autonomous vehicles have already proven this is feasible.

We should use technology to complement law enforcement and help people drive safely and responsibly. This would ensure safety for other road users.

Ee Teck Siew