Only 3 in 5 people find S’pore roads safe; three-quarters blame impatience for most traffic hazards

SINGAPORE - An inaugural survey has revealed that while three in five people find roads in Singapore safe, more than three-quarters blame impatience for most traffic hazards.

“Only 61 per cent of respondents said they find Singapore’s roads safe, which leaves significant room for improvement,” said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann on May 30, in announcing the findings of the poll of 1,000 Singapore residents conducted in early 2026.

Speaking at Our Tampines Hub on Community Road Safety Day, Ms Sim said there are safety trade-offs, including longer travel times at slower driving speeds, and higher penalties for drivers who flout traffic rules.

She was speaking on May 30 to mark the start of Singapore Road Safety Month 2026, an annual month-long campaign to foster a more responsible road culture here.

“But these are trade-offs worth making. We should be willing to prioritise safety for all over speed or convenience for the individual, because the cost of not doing so is measured in lives,” said Ms Sim, who is also Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high in 2025, with 149 people killed, compared with 141 in 2016. The number of people injured has also risen – from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.

Given the dire situation on Singapore’s roads, The Straits Times has been running a series of stories calling on all road users to be more careful.

Ms Sim said the Traffic Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs have made significant strides in recent years through stronger enforcement and stiffer penalties, as speeding violations more than doubled from 116,440 in 2023 to 253,550 in 2025.

Since March 1, Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras (TVECs) have been deployed islandwide to detect offences such as crossing double white lines and illegal U-turns.

The TVECs caught 3,122 instances of vehicles crossing double white lines in March at Dunearn Road alone. This figure rose to 4,169 in April, said Ms Sim, pointing to the need for a cultural shift for safer road use.

She said: “We will continue to strengthen enforcement through upcoming changes to the Driver Improvement Points System and the lowering of alcohol limits for drink driving. But enforcement alone cannot change a culture. It requires all of us to do our part.”

Under an expanded rule that first came into force in 2024, lorry owners are required to install speed limiters or risk prosecution. The next deadline is July 1, 2026, for lorries registered before 2018 with a maximum laden weight of between 3,501kg and 5,000kg to install the speed limiters.

As at May 1, more than 15,000 lorries have installed the required speed limiters, said Ms Sim.

Despite a 16 per cent increase in speeding violations across all vehicles, lorry speeding offenses plummeted from 238 in the first three months of 2025 to just 22 during the same period in 2026.

The 2026 Singapore Road Safety Month was launched with the tagline Road Safety Begins with Us.

“It begins the moment we step out of our homes, in terms of our attitudes, our choices and how we look out for one another,” Ms Sim said. “It begins with the driver who resists the urge to rush through the amber light, the pedestrian who puts away his phone before crossing the road, and the parent who models safe road behaviour for her child.”

As part of wider public education, officers from 32 Neighbourhood Police Centres will visit pre-schools to read books about safe road habits and take children on morning neighbourhood road safety walks. Officers will also organise neighbourhood walks and coffee sessions to help seniors identify safer routes to the places they frequent.

Ms Sim said everyone, whether they are motorists or pedestrians, has a part to play.

“When we choose to slow down, to give way or to wait, we are showing that the other person matters,” said Ms Sim.

“Similarly, when someone gives way to us, a simple gesture of thanks, such as an appreciative hand gesture or blinking of our hazard lights twice, that can go a long way in building a positive culture on our roads.”