SINGAPORE - The number of road accidents involving heavy vehicles has been falling since 2018.

There were 776 accidents in 2018, 690 in 2019, 426 last year, and 268 this year as at June, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 3).

Dr Faishal was responding to questions from Mr Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) about these figures, as well as the number of accidents that involved lorries ferrying workers, and how the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will ensure better road safety.

Dr Faishal said the Traffic Police do not track how many of the vehicles involved in these accidents were ferrying workers.

To enhance road safety, the Traffic Police engage and educate drivers and take strong enforcement action against irresponsible drivers, he added.

On the statistics on traffic violations committed by heavy vehicles, he noted that 19,004 violations were committed in 2018, 19,449 in 2019, 13,900 last year, and 5,286 this year as at June.

The top three traffic offences committed by drivers of heavy vehicles are speeding, running red lights and careless driving.

"(The Traffic Police) regularly conduct road safety talks to educate heavy vehicle drivers on safe driving habits, and hold dialogues with the industry and key stakeholders too," said Dr Faishal.

He added that the Traffic Police also work with other government agencies such as the Ministry of Manpower to develop technologies that can deter speeding and ensure road safety. This includes the Advanced Driver Assistance System, which helps improve the situational awareness of drivers and warns them of collision risks.

Mr Yong asked if the MHA would consider adding a speed limiter to all lorries, as well as have dedicated transport for all workers. Dr Faishal said the Government would take a look at these suggestions.

Mr Yong said: "Clearly, employers are putting their workers' lives at risk when ferrying them at the back of lorries, especially when some of these lorry drivers have the propensity to speed. It could be down to just sheer luck that there have not been even more fatalities on our roads."

Accidents that made headlines this year include the one in April, where a lorry transporting 17 workers collided into a tipper truck along the Pan-Island Expressway. Two workers - Indian national Sugunan Sudheeshmon and Bangladeshi Toffazal Hossain - were killed, and the rest were injured.