20 new digital speed traps to be installed islandwide

The Traffic Police will install 20 new digital speed traps islandwide before 2015 ends. The authority hopes the new cameras will achieve the same effect as digital red light cameras, which have made drivers more wary of running a light.

Last year, 120 digital red light cameras were installed at traffic junctions resulting in 38,977 drivers caught, more than double the 18,796 caught in 2013. 30 more cameras will be put up by the end of September.

The 20 new digital speed traps, which can transmit wirelessly and do not rely on film, will be installed at 11 locations, with eight of them at new locations such as along Loyang Avenue.

Traffic Police Commander Sam Tee told The Straits Times that the new cameras will be painted in bright orange and have reflective strips.

Last year, 278,545 drivers were caught speeding, an increase of 6.5 percent from the 261,540 the year before. The number of fatal accidents involving speeding also increased by three to 42 cases last year.

But while the number of road fatalities has decreased from 160 to 154 last year, another concern is the spike in elderly pedestrians among them - from 17 in 2013 to 25 last year. Accidents involving elderly pedestrians happened because motorists did not notice them or failed to give way when turning.

The Traffic Police is addressing this issue and will release details later.

Meanwhile, the number of fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles increased by one to 44, but overall, the number of such accidents decreased - from 816 in 2013 to 809 last year.

Despite greater enforcement efforts, fewer have been caught for drink driving offences, a drop from 3,019 cases in 2013 to 2,954 last year.

Likewise, the number of drivers caught using their mobile phones while driving has dipped slightly, from 3,572 in 2013 to 3,354 last year. The slight decrease comes just before amendments to the Road Traffic Act kick in next month.

The Traffic Police also revealed that injury accident statistics were under-reported from 2009 to 2013. For instance, in 2013, there were 7,598 injury accidents, instead of the 6,277 reported previously. The discrepancies were discovered at an internal review in March last year and had occurred because of 'inconsistencies in the data capture'. The Traffic Police said the error did not affected any investigations and the numbers have since been rectified.