Improving safety on Singapore’s roads requires more than stricter penalties—it demands a cultural shift.
SINGAPORE: Tragic accidents on Singapore’s roads, like the recent multi-vehicle crash in Tampines that claimed two lives, have reignited public debate on road safety and driving culture. Despite harsher penalties introduced in 2019, fatal accidents persist, raising questions about whether stricter laws alone can solve the problem.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Faishal Ibrahim, addressing these concerns in Parliament, emphasized that Singapore’s traffic laws are already stringent. However, he underscored that changing driver behavior is equally critical to reducing road fatalities.
The Culture of Carelessness
Singapore’s roads are often characterized by a lack of courtesy. Drivers frequently refuse to give way and prioritize speed over safety, reflecting a cultural norm that values efficiency at the expense of others. This “get-there-fast” mindset fosters dangerous habits, from lane-cutting to road rage.
Social media platforms like SG Road Vigilante and Roads.sg regularly showcase errant driving behavior, serving as a digital courtroom for public shaming. Yet, these actions alone do little to address the root cause: a lack of empathy among road users.
Do Harsher Penalties Work?
Public sentiment strongly supports tougher penalties for dangerous driving, with a recent informal poll showing that most Singaporeans feel current laws are inadequate. High-profile cases often provoke outrage, such as the 2016 AYE wrong-way driver who received just one year in jail, or the Lucky Plaza crash, where the driver was sentenced to two-and-a-half years.
However, evidence suggests that increased penalties yield only moderate reductions in traffic incidents. Experts like Jean Liu and Bozy Lu argue for “traffic calming” measures—design changes such as narrower lanes and speed bumps—to enforce safer driving habits.
While penalties are necessary to deter dangerous behavior, they cannot substitute for a cultural shift that prioritizes mutual respect on the roads.
A Roadmap for Change
Transforming Singapore’s driving culture requires collective effort. Beyond stricter enforcement, initiatives should focus on education and public awareness. Schools and community campaigns could emphasize empathy and accountability, teaching drivers to view road safety as a shared responsibility.
Infrastructure changes, such as more pedestrian-friendly crossings and enhanced traffic-calming measures, can also play a pivotal role in mitigating accidents.
Balancing Justice and Reform
Calls for harsher penalties must also consider the broader implications. While longer sentences may satisfy public demand for justice, they do not address the human tendency toward error. As drivers, we must reflect on how we would feel if an accidental lapse resulted in severe punishment.
Ultimately, as Faishal Ibrahim noted, improving road safety is an ongoing journey. To arrive at a safer future, Singapore must align its laws, infrastructure, and culture toward a common goal: saving lives on the road.
