Latest Traffic Police statistics revealed to The Straits Times show that the number of traffic violations committed by heavy vehicle drivers has risen by 15.6 percent in the past three years, from 10,882 in 2010 to 12,583 last year.
Common offences include failing to wear seat belts, speeding and failing to drive on the leftmost lane of the expressway.
Accidents involving heavy vehicles accounted for about 9 percent of the total number of accidents in the past three years. The main causes were failure to keep a lookout for other road users, not giving way to traffic with the right of way and losing control of the vehicle.
After a recent spate of incidents, the spotlight on road safety has been cast on heavy vehicle drivers, who are usually paid by the number of trips they can make in a 12-hour shift.
These drivers can make between $50 and $95 a trip but they must have at least a Class 4 licence to operate vehicles with an unladen weight of between 2,500kg and 7,250kg. A driver who can make at least five trips in a 12-hour shift can earn up to $475 a day.
A cement-mixer driver of four years, who declined to be named, admitted, "We try to drive as safely as we can but our main aim is still to make as many trips as possible to earn more money."
To curb dangerous driving, the Traffic Police have stepped up enforcement through regular operations and are also trying to get the message across to heavy-vehicle drivers and their bosses through road safety talks, said the spokesman.
