More Motorists Are Beating The Red Light & It’s Due to Complacency

Last Updated on 2019-02-27 , 11:11 am

All too often, we find ourselves confronted with difficult decisions.

Should we have a healthy lunch or that sumptuous-looking Prosperity double beef burger?

Should we sleep in or go to the gym?

Pink underwear or hot pink underwear?

Yet, none of those dilemmas, in my very honest opinion, compares to this one trouble of mine:

To beat the red light, or not to beat it?

And apparently, it’s not just me either. As a matter of fact…

There’re a whole lot more where that came from.

More and more motorists beating the red light

According to the Traffic Police (TP), the number of red-light running violations increased by more than 7,000 cases last year.

Accidents stemming from beating the red light also saw a slight increase.

In a press release yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revealed that between 2014 and 2018, public-submitted complaints that cater to irresponsible driving more than doubled, from 6,900 to 18,500.

And in the span of three years, between 2015 and 2018, the number of summonses sent by TP also rose significantly, from 152,700 to 181,000.

“Irresponsible driving remains a concern,” said MHA in its release.

“There are still many instances of motorists who drive or ride irresponsibly, putting other road users’ lives at risk.”

For now, MHA intends to enhance criminal penalties, especially for serious crimes involving irresponsible driving.

Stable road traffic situation

In an update on the road traffic situation in Singapore on 21 Feb 2019, TP said it remained stable last year.

While accident-related deaths rose from 117 in 2017 to 120 in 2018, accident-related injuries decreased slightly from 7,726 cases in 2017 to 7,690 in 2018.

The number of fatalities last year stood at 124 persons, up from 121 in 2017.

There were also fewer speeding violations recorded in 2018, though there were increases in the number of red-light running violations and drink-driving related accidents.

Complacency

According to the Wise Old Man, there’s a reason for everything.

And according to Singapore Safety Driving Center training manager Gerard Pereira, complacency’s the key behind motorists beating the red light.

“If a motorist travels in the same area often, they’ll be familiar with the traffic light timing and changes,” he said.

“But when they’re in a different place, one they go to only sometimes, they might assume the timing and changes are the same as their usual places.

“This complacency is very dangerous, and that’s when the accident occurs.”

Elderly jaywalkers, defined as those above 60, are also a major concern.

“They’ll say the crossing is too far away, and using it means they have to walk back again on the other side. The overhead bridges are even more tiring for them because they’re old and move slower,” he said.

“I try to tell them that safety is more important, but then I see their demeanour and then I think to myself, maybe when I get old and frail I might end up thinking the same way.

“There’s just no clear solution to this at the moment.”

So what now?

Well, for starters, we could all try to respect the traffic laws. For once. But hey if you’re not going to listen to the police, why would you even listen to me?

As a result, what I can do is end off with a quote of TNP’s:

“Running a red light might save one a few seconds, but it may also cost a life.”

Which leads to the ultimate question:

Are you willing to risk it?