Five courtesies young Singaporean drivers should know

I grew up in a bit of a gearhead family. My father was quite the Honda fanboy, having owned your typical boy racer cars like Civics and a Prelude, while my uncles had everything from Subarus to Porsches.

My grandfather was perhaps the spark, as he served the Japanese in the World War II as a mechanic and later owned classics from Alfa Romeo, Morris Motors and Volkswagen, just to name a few.

Long story short, because of my family's influence, attaining my driver's license became a key milestone in my life because it meant I could finally join the automotive fraternity.

I was, however, taught the old school way of driving. Almost everyone in my family who could drive shaped the way I did. One important lesson I learnt was that driving is broken down into three things - the technical aspect, the legal aspect, and the social aspect.


The first two are widely covered topics by driving schools and the traffic police's numerous campaigns but the third? That's something I feel the younger generation of drivers isn't practicing, or rather, respecting.

In my opinion, being a good driver doesn't just mean being skilled but also being courteous, whatever the situation. After all, our roads are for sharing.

Here are five courtesies that should never be forgotten:

1. A little thanking goes a long way

One of my biggest pet peeves is a driver not saying thanks after being given way to. Admittedly, if you're expecting something in return, it's not really courtesy, isn't it?

But being able to mind our Ps and Qs certainly makes the roads a more cordial place and is one of the best ways to make everyone's drive a little less stressful and more polite.


The most common way drivers in Japan communicate is through what's called the 'thank you hazard', which isn't taught in driving schools but is widely practiced. While I'm not expecting Singaporeans to do the same, would a quick 'thank you wave' hurt?

Similarly, if more people apologised for their lunkheadedness and more people accepted their apologies, the roads would be a lot more humane.

2. Better late than never

To err is human; we make mistakes all the time, especially on the road. One example is missing a highway exit, of which I am myself a victim. Singapore is only 50km long and the next U-turn or detour will probably only add just a minute or two to your drive.

Why attempt cutting out at the very last minute just to make your exit and risk causing a chain collision or worse, hitting an innocent motorcyclist? To this, the Cantonese have a saying that translates as - are you rushing to be incarnated? - which basically means, do you have a deathwish?


And not all drivers are equally skilled or aware of his or her surroundings. If you encounter one who's unknowingly road hogging, don't horn or high beam aggressively or overtake too closely. You'll just be making the driver panic even more.

Just get past when it's safe to and be along your way. Be safe, be patient and live to drive another day.