New strategies announced for safer roads amidst increasing rule violators

Echoing the comments he made early February, Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran affirmed yesterday there will be an increased presence of police officers patrolling the roads on top of the installation of digital red light and speed cameras.

He announced the plans during the Budget debate yesterday amidst an increasing number of motorists not abiding traffic rules. Other activities include educating road users and engaging specific groups as part of an improved Safer Roads Singapore strategy, The Straits Times reports.

Answering to queries raised by five MP's pertaining to new road safety measures, Mr S. Iswaran revealed, 70 more officers will be deployed on the roads, boosting the number of patrolling Traffic Police officers to 210, on top of assistance by auxiliary police officers on patrol.

The increased police presence will be complemented by a higher number of red light and speed cameras. The current 240 cameras installed at traffic junctions islandwide will be replaced in the next two years by 300 units of newer digital cameras.

Motorists whom have accumulated 12 or more demerit points can attend a new voluntary Safe Driving Course while drivers with 24 points will be banned from driving for a year. However, three points will be erased from their records if the banned drivers underwent the voluntary Safe Driving Course.

Traffic Police and Land Transport Authority (LTA) will work together to tighten inspection on heavy vehicles that are caught for speeding while school children and the elderly will play a higher importance for upcoming Road safety education programmes.

Bidding motorcyclists will now need to undergo a compulsory expressway familiarisation course before obtaining their Class 2B licence. Statistics reveal riders who underwent the course in the last two years were met with fewer accidents on the expressways.