Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim on improving road safety and deterring dangerous driving

Singapore’s roads have become safer, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. In the last five years, the number of accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities fell by about 10 per cent - from 7,822 in 2019 to 7,075 in 2023. However, the number of accidents resulting in fatalities increased by about 12 per cent - from 117 in 2019 to 131 in 2023. There were 71 fatal accidents in the first half of 2023 and 60 in the second half of the year. Dr Faishal, who gave this update in reply to MPs’ questions in Parliament on Tuesday (May 7), said the top causes of the fatal accidents between 2019 and 2023 were failure to keep a proper lookout and have proper control of the vehicles. An average of three fatal accidents per year, or about 2.4 per cent of fatal accidents annually, were investigated under the offence of reckless or dangerous driving causing death. An average of 29 fatal accidents per year, or 27 per cent of fatal accidents annually, were speeding-related. Dr Faishal said the Ministry of Home Affairs has raised the penalties significantly and the laws are already quite stiff. It has been studying the adequacy of composition amounts and the demerit points framework. Turning to enforcement efforts, he said in the last six weeks, Traffic Police stepped up ad hoc enforcement, as well as progressively activated the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras across the island.