A fatal road accident occurred shortly after midnight on Tuesday (30 Mar), when a 73-year-old man was hit by a taxi, The Straits Times reports.
The victim was trying to cross the road near Block 8 North Bridge Road at about 12:40am, when the accident occurred and he was dragged along by the vehicle for about 30 metres.
Paramedics declared him dead at the scene when they arrived. He is believed to be living by himself in Block 9, and would go across the road every night for supper at a nearby food court.
The 55-year-old taxi driver has been arrested for careless driving causing death while the police carry out investigations, according to a police spokesman.
The driver, who was driving for ComfortDelGro, has been dismissed with immediate effort, according to Tammy Tan, the chief corporate communications officer for the firm. ComfortDelGro is in touch with the close relatives of the victim to assist them in this period of grief.
Not The First Time
According to an interview with North Bridge Road resident Mr Lin, 63, similar accidents have been frequent.
“I’m not surprised, because I’ve seen similar accidents on this road at least 10 times,” he shared.
Despite the proximity of the location to an overhead bridge and a pedestrian crossing, pedestrians still commonly choose to jaywalk.
This is part of a wider phenomenon, according to CNA.
In 2019, the number of fatal accidents involving elderly pedestrians increased by 12.5%, despite the overall decrease in fatalities in the year. The number of all accidents where elderly pedestrians were involved also increased significantly, by 33.6% to 322.
2020 was an anomalous year where remote working arrangements and the circuit breaker contributed to less frequent road use and therefore fewer accidents.
However, accidents involving elderly rose by 33.6% from 241 cases in 2018 to 322 cases in 2019.
Elderly fatalities also increased by 12.5% from 24 in 2018 to 27 people in 2019; more than half of these deaths were because of jaywalking.
The propensity of elderly pedestrians to accidents may be because their “idea of road safety might be 20, 30 years ago, when the infrastructure was different”, reports The Straits Times on a statement by Gerald Lim, the Traffic Police Commander.
In response, the police have partnered with Lion Befrienders Service Association and NTUC Health Cooperative to raise awareness on the risks of jaywalking and the safe use of roads.
Enhancements are also made to the road network to better fulfill the needs of the elderly, such as the installation of lifts at overhead bridges and card scanners for a longer crossing time at pedestrian crossings.
Drivers, meanwhile, will have to undergo simulation training to better familiarise themselves with real traffic conditions, including the presence of jaywalkers. They will also face harsher penalties for dangerous and/or careless driving.
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