There has been an increase in the number of people injured or killed in road accidents so far this year.
This was likely because there are more road users as Singapore shifts towards treating Covid-19 as endemic, experts said.
Accidents with injuries or deaths this year rose to 4,552 as at September from 2,998 as at June, according to the latest numbers provided by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
In the same period, there was an increase of 20 fatalities from 52 to 72 as at September.
The police flagged three causes behind the rise in accidents leading to injuries or deaths - drink driving, running the red light at traffic junctions and speeding.
Of the three, speeding was the leading cause, jumping to 733 cases between January and September this year, from 549 during the same period last year.
The police also recorded 105 drink-driving accidents, six more than in the same period a year ago. Accidents caused by vehicles that ran a red light rose to 101 from 86.
While there were more injuries reported, the police noted that fewer have died in accidents involving drink driving and running the red light.
In September, a Straits Times report highlighted motorists and riders who ignored stop signs and ran red lights at road junctions, putting other road users at risk.
Experts The Sunday Times spoke to expressed concern about the higher number of road injuries and fatalities.
They said the increase was likely due to more people going out as Singapore moves towards living with Covid-19.
Associate Professor Raymond Ong of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) said the rise in accidents could have been caused by higher traffic volume as more people head out for work and daily activities with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
He noted that the number of accidents recorded this year has grown at a constant rate.
"Still, each accident is important on its own as it involves human lives. Any kind of road safety message is timely because it reinforces knowledge and safety," he said.
Professor Chin Hoong Chor, who is from the same faculty in NUS, said the numbers may be alarming at first, but said the rise was likely a bounce-back effect after traffic fell drastically last year due to pandemic restrictions.
"As the traffic is not back to pre-Covid-19 times and given the limited accident statistics, it is too early to determine if there is any change in trend as the Covid-19 situation has not stabilised," he said.
Mr Jason Lim, director of road safety advocacy group Roads.sg, said the spike in accidents after June coincided with the lifting of restrictions but added that the timeframe was too narrow to draw a conclusion on how drivers were behaving.
He expects more cars on the road during the December festive season, with more people taking leave while remaining in Singapore.
Mr Lim urged food and beverage outlets to have a valet service on speed dial and proactively offer the service to customers who have taken alcohol.
The Traffic Police will run an anti-drink driving campaign from Dec 9. They added that they will continue to conduct operations at targeted hot spots during the festive period to deter and detect traffic offences.
Meanwhile, Safe Cycling Task Force president Steven Lim said large groups of cyclists often hit the streets late at night in December in areas such as Orchard Road, Marina Bay and East Coast Park.
He urged road users to be mindful of others on the road. He also advised cyclists to don protective and visible gear, and to hop off their bicycles when they encounter crowds.
