Road deaths and drink driving violations register a marked drop

The number of road deaths and traffic violations is down markedly, as shown in the latest mid-year statistics from the Traffic Police. In particular, the number of deaths on the road has dropped to 78 in the first six months of this year, from 89 in the same period last year, reported The Straits Times. Also down are drivers caught for drink driving. There were 1,258 caught in the first half of this year, while 1,495 were nabbed in the same period last year.

New digital speed traps and red light cameras seem to have been effective. The average number of motorists caught by each digital red light camera for running the red lights each month has dropped from 115 in March last year, when digital versions of the cameras were first installed, to only 19 last month. Digital speed traps have also proven to be effective. An average of 31 speedsters were caught by each camera every day in March this year, compared to only 12 each day last month.

"The roads were generally safer in the first half of this year," said Traffic Police chief Sam Tee. He added that the statistics were an encouraging sign that motorists were doing their part to keep the roads safe for everyone.

That said, accident injuries have registered a slight uptick. There were 3,733 in the first half of last year. From January to June this year there were 3,938, an increase of 205 cases. The Traffic Police said the rise could be due to accidents involving motorcyclists. The number of motorcyclists injured on the roads rose about six percent to 2,078 in the first half of this year. The riders themselves were at fault in about 40 percent of motorcycle accidents.