Insights + interviews
Local Drivers Unhappy With Road Conditions
A recent survey conducted by insurance company AIG has found out that a majority of Singaporeans are annoyed about driving conditions in Singapore.
In an online survey with a sample size of 800, 77 per cent said they were annoyed about driving conditions in Singapore, while 53 per cent reported feeling stressed on the roads. Among the causes of Singaporean drivers’ frustrations, the top three were reckless driving, lane change without signalling, and not allowing others to change lanes.
According to AIG Singapore’s Head of Auto, Ms Wong Siew Lee, the main reason behind the frustration of Singapore drivers is the fact that they have to deal with escalating unsafe and inconsiderate road behaviour, and that can be backed by data from the Traffic Police, whereby the number of speeding violations increased by 6.5 per cent in 2014, as well as the increase of fatal accidents involving speeding – from 39 accidents in 2013 to 42 in 2014.
In addition, the survey also found out that drivers aged between 18 and 35 tend to engage in risky driving behaviour, with 63 per cent of the respondents admitting to unsafe driving behaviour on the roads, and more than a quarter of them confessing that they tend to accelerate whenever the traffic lights turn to amber. The respondents were also more likely to be distracted with other activities while driving, with 24 per cent on their GPS and 20 per cent using their mobile phones. Another statistic that the insurer has revealed is that drivers in this age group have made the highest number of automotive claims out of all age groups, and they are often fully or partially to blame for the accidents.
