Top Causes of Traffic Accidents in Singapore

Singapore Motorist Guide: In collaboration with 'Use Your Roadsense', an initiative by Traffic Police

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In this series of articles in collaboration with Use Your Roadsense, an initiative by the Singapore Traffic Police, Bridgestone Tyre Singapore brings to you tips and advice to be a better road user in Singapore.

For this second article in a six-part series, we take a close look at the top causes of traffic accidents in Singapore, based on data collected by the Singapore Traffic Police in 2019. Watching the numerous videos of traffic accidents you see posted on social networking sites, it’ll be hard not to notice that most of them belong to these three categories below.

A total of 3,341 accidents in 2019

According to data collected by the Singapore Government, there were a total of 3,341 accidents in 2019 caused by drivers failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to have proper control of their vehicle, and failing to give way to traffic with right of way. Of these numbers, 2.5% of them, or 84 incidents, resulted in a fatality.

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3. Failing to give way to traffic with right of way - 628 accidents caused

In comparison to the other two causes of traffic accidents above, this cause is quite a lot more straightforward. As a driver, you should be aware of the give-way rule, which dictates that drivers should give way to other vehicles on their right.

The most common occurrence of this accident type is at traffic junctions. When turning right at a junction without a green arrow, many drivers – whether due to carelessness or impatience – proceed with the right turn without ensuring that traffic is clear. This results in an accident – and a violation of traffic rules.

In 2019, there were 628 accidents caused by drivers failing to give way to traffic with right of way. 1.3% of these accidents – 8 cases – unfortunately resulted in a fatality. 

2. Failing to have proper control of vehicle - 724 accidents caused

The second component of the ‘holy trinity’ of driving is to maintain proper control of your vehicle at all times when driving. It might be nearly as confusing as the term above, but this is slightly more straightforward – and we’re here to simplify it for you!

Simply put, a situation where a driver fails to have proper control of his or her vehicle is one where he or she is not in a position to react to the traffic situation immediately. This encompasses a variety of situations, and could be as straightforward as texting while driving, or self-skidding at a bend due to excessive speed.

In 2019, there were 724 accidents caused by drivers failing to have proper control. 4.8% of these accidents – 35 cases – unfortunately resulted in a fatality. 

1. Failing to keep a proper lookout - 2,000 accidents caused

As a road user, you’ll always need to be aware of the ‘holy trinity’ of driving – keeping a proper lookout, maintaining proper vehicular control, and travelling at a reasonable speed. You might be confused as to what ‘a proper lookout’ entails, as it seems like a rather vague and general term.

However, where traffic laws are concerned, ‘a proper lookout’ is defined as paying sufficient attention to the scene outside your windscreen, in order to mitigate or avoid an accident. This includes everything from careless driving, to colliding with pedestrians while turning, to changing lanes without checking your blindspot.

In 2019, there were nearly 2,000 accidents caused by drivers failing to keep a proper lookout. 2.1% of these accidents – 41 cases – unfortunately resulted in a fatality. 

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For more information about 'Use Your Roadsense', an initiative by the Singapore Traffic Police, visit their Facebook page. For other articles sharing nifty driving tips, head on over to our Tyre Clinic.

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