‘They like to hide behind trees’: SPF debunks myth about Traffic Police having to meet quotas
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Enforcement locations are strategically determined, said the police officer in a video.
PHOTO: SCREENGRABS FROM SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE/FACEBOOK
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – Ever wondered if the Traffic Police (TP) in Singapore strategically hide in spots to catch errant drivers to meet their quota of offences?
Well, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has just debunked this myth, through a Facebook video posted on its page. They have instead clarified that the purpose of TPs is to ensure safety on Singapore roads.
In the video posted on Oct 1, a woman who identifies herself as the “number one TP spotter in Singapore” can be seen hiding behind a pole, peeping at a tree through a pair of binoculars.
“They like to hide behind the trees, right? To catch us speeding. They want to meet their quota,” said the woman.
She then approaches the tree, only to find no one behind it. Behind her, a man clad in a TP uniform approaches her and asks what she is doing there. The man appears puzzled by her accusation that he was hiding behind the tree.
The video then cuts to a police officer who says: “Traffic Police officers do not have quotas.” He goes on to elaborate that their goal is about ensuring safety for all road users.
“All enforcement locations are not chosen randomly, nor are they selected to trap drivers,” he said, adding that locations are strategically determined based on high-violation areas or accident-prone areas that have statistically higher frequencies of traffic accidents.
According to the Mid-Year Traffic Situation Report released by SPF, the total number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities increased by 8.9 per cent to 3,818 in the first half of 2025, from 3,507 in the first half of 2024.
There were 78 fatal accidents from January to June, up from 70 in the first half of 2024
In contrast, red light-running violations fell by 25.3 per cent from 17,508 in the first half of 2024 to 13,073 in the first six months of 2025.
Speeding violations jumped by 45.5 per cent from 81,141 in the first half of 2024 to 118,076 cases in the same period of 2025. On the other hand, speeding-related accidents fell from 269 to 236 cases in the same period as enforcement action went up, while fatal accidents linked to speeding fell from 25 to 15.
On Sept 30, a 36-year-old man was arrested after he was involved in an accident
The man was later arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicating substances. E-vaporisers and related components were also found in his car and seized by the Health Sciences Authority.
On Sept 20, a 74-year-old female cyclist died after an accident with a lorry in Boon Lay.
