Rise in fatal accidents involving speeding, drink driving in first half of 2024
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A total of 73 people died in the first half of 2024 – two more than the 71 deaths in the same period last year.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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SINGAPORE – There were more fatal accidents caused by speeding and drink driving in the first half of 2024, a period which also saw more people killed on Singapore’s roads.
Seventy-three people died in the first half of 2024 – two more than the 71 deaths in the same period last year.
Among the pedestrian fatalities, figures from the Traffic Police (TP) released on Aug 24 showed that about four in 10 were 65 years old and above.
“While the TP will continue our efforts to educate the elderly, we need family members and friends to reinforce the message to the elderly not to jaywalk, so we can all help them stay safe on our roads,” said the police.
Commenting on the rise in fatal accidents caused by speeding and drink driving, police said they were concerned as they had noted these trending up in the last three years.
The number of fatal speeding-related accidents jumped from six in the first half of 2022 to 13 in the same period in 2023. This nearly doubled to 25 cases in the first six months of 2024.
As for fatal drink-driving accidents, it went from three cases in the first half of 2022 to eight in the same period in 2023 and nine in 2024.
In a fatal drink-driving case described by a district judge as one of the worst accidents in recent memory, a 35-year-old man was sentenced in October 2023 to seven years’ jail after he killed a Gojek driver and injured six others.
Jeremiah Ng En You had lost control of his Mercedes-Benz and ploughed into several vehicles that stopped at a red light in Tampines in December 2021.
He pleaded guilty to drink driving and causing death by driving in a dangerous manner.
Police said the TP will continue to progressively activate the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras, and work towards increasing the composition sums and demerit points for certain traffic offences to deter irresponsible driving behaviour.
Stepped-up enforcement measures, including the activation of the speed enforcement function in selected red-light cameras
The number of speeding violations rose by 44.3 per cent to 77,773 in the first six months of 2024, up from 53,906 in the corresponding period the previous year.
More than 5,200 speeding violations have been detected by the red-light cameras so far, police said.
The first six months of the year saw drink-driving accidents creeping up, from 88 to 96 cases, but drink-driving arrests fell from 853 in the first half of 2023 to 812 in the same period in 2024.
The overall number of accidents resulting in injuries or death from January to June dipped 1.6 per cent to 3,487, from 3,543 in the same period last year.
Elderly pedestrians and motorcyclists remain a key concern, said the police, as they continue to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death.
There were six elderly pedestrian fatalities in the first half of this year, which make up nearly 43 per cent of all pedestrian fatalities. About 41 per cent of elderly pedestrian accidents were caused by jaywalking.
Motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in more than half, or 54.5 per cent, of all traffic accidents in the first half of this year, and they made up 61.6 per cent of traffic fatalities.
The number of motorcyclist and pillion rider deaths in the first half of 2024 rose by more than 40 per cent to 45, up from 32 deaths in the same period in 2023.
Police said the top three causes of accidents involving motorcyclists from January to June 2024 are failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to have proper control of the vehicle and changing lanes without due care.
In an encouraging sign, the number of accidents involving red-light running fell by 23.7 per cent, from 59 in the first half of 2023 to 45 in the same period in 2024. Red-light running violations also dipped from 16,524 to 16,396.
As part of efforts to boost road safety, TP said it reached out to close to 80,000 people through online and physical events like talks and carnivals in the first six months of 2024.
For instance, local artistes performed songs and skits to raise awareness of road safety among the elderly at the Singapore Road Safety Month carnival in Toa Payoh from June 1 to June 2.
On Nov 8, TP will be collaborating with the Singapore Road Safety Council to launch the Singapore Traffic Games 2024 at the Road Safety Community Park to inculcate road safety values in young students.
