SINGAPORE - While fewer people were killed in traffic accidents on Singapore roads in the first half of this year, the number of elderly pedestrian deaths has almost doubled from last year.

Between January and June, 45 people were killed in 44 fatal road accidents, according to the mid-year traffic situation report by the police released on Thursday.

This is 13 fewer fatalities than the 58 deaths in 52 accidents in the first half of 2021.

However, there were more accidents involving injuries, from 2,960 such accidents in the first half of 2021 to 3,115 accidents in the same period this year.

The total number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities also increased, from 3,012 in the first half of 2021 to 3,159 this year.

The police said the easing of Covid-19 safe management measures led to an increase in traffic volume in the first half of 2022. 

Singapore eased its safety measures in April. These included allowing workers to return to the workplace and lifting the cap on the number of unique visitors to a household, which was previously 10 people at any one time.

While fewer traffic accident deaths were recorded in the first half of 2022, elderly pedestrian deaths increased, from five in the first half of 2021 to nine in the same period this year.

The number of elderly pedestrian injuries also increased from 100 to 109 in the same period.

The police said accidents involving the elderly made up 81.8 per cent of pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2022.

They added that 45.3 per cent of accidents involving elderly pedestrians in the first half of this year were due to jaywalking.

The police said: "Elderly pedestrians are advised to use overhead bridges or pedestrian crossings to cross roads for their safety."

Also up was the number of drink driving arrests, from 741 in the first half of 2021 to 793 this year.

However, drink driving accidents saw a dip of 9 per cent, from 78 to 71 in the same time period.

Another area of concern is speeding.

The number of speeding-related violations increased from 66,480 in the first half of 2021, to 69,291 this year. Accidents related to speeding also rose, from 474 to 487 in the same period.

But motorists ran fewer red lights in the first half of this year - violations fell from 24,362 last year to 23,217 this year.

Accidents caused by running red lights also fell from 64 to 61.

And while the number of motorcyclist and pillion rider deaths dipped slightly from 26 in the first half of last year to 25 this year, the number of accidents involving motorcyclists increased, from 1,711 accidents to 1,733 in the same period.

In May, the police launched a road safety campaign to raise awareness of speeding and red-light running violations.

More campaigns will be launched at year end to encourage different road user groups like young students to practise road safety.

Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay said that with the increase in road users due to the easing of safe management measures, the council will continue to work with the authorities and stakeholders on road safety campaigns to reach out to various groups of road users, especially vulnerable ones, to keep the roads safe.