Why do drivers in Singapore want to run you over?

[audiojunky]

Drivers seem to have absolutely no consideration for pedestrians in Singapore.

The attitude seems to be if a car collides with a human, the chances are that the car will win... hence survival of the fittest rules and hence they will show no consideration for pedestrians what so ever.

[Superglide]

Although I completely wholeheartedly agree with the rude manners of driving here, to say at best, but on a legal note I still believe that a pedestrian in all cases will win.

Officially I think pedestrians are still protected by traffic law here.

Who knows for sure?

[ladyseals80]

i have dealed with cases when my clients knocked into pedestrians and though the pedestrians are indeed at fault, insurance companies still pay a lot of medical claims to them.

so in sg, pedestrians still have the upperhand

[sundaymorningstaple]

i have dealed with cases when my clients knocked into pedestrians and though the pedestrians are indeed at fault, insurance companies still pay a lot of medical claims to them.

so in sg, pedestrians still have the upperhand

I think you assume too much. Additionally how do you "dealed" with something? Your clients "knocked into"???? Give us a break. They were driving too fast probably and were talking on their handphone or putting on makeup and weren't watching the road and ran the pedestrian down. Full Stop. That's the problem with insurance agents isn't it.

[Makan24-7]

LOL, do you think building a dedicated racing circuit on reclaimed land, and imposing an externality charge on any driver who wants to "burn" rubber (with discounts for disgruntled cab drivers) could go some ways in reducing aggressive, not to mention offensive driving behavior?

That, and defensive driving classes for all drivers........

Then, Singaporean drivers don't feel the need to drive like madmen (and women) on small roads like Sophia Road or Mount Sophia....

But seriously, incentives (and disincentives) drive behavior.... Unless they change, nothing will...

[Jens]

AFAIK the pedestrians will win, but thats only on paper. Outside you will get the strong feeling, that the drivers are the kings...

[sundaymorningstaple]

YEP! Pedestrians are usually DEAD right!
Not my idea of winning really.

[DimWit Kid]

I think they should have a more strict "passing grade" for giving the Driving License here. Average skills are rather low...

I do sympathize with pedestrians, and sometimes the biker as well - as they are really risking life with the lousy driving skills of many people here. However, what I also don't understand is why those motorcycles are allowed to enter the expressways.. I mean, I heard the statistics says that most fatalities of road accidents are incurred when one of the party involved is motorcycle. Surely an easy way to reduce that is to ban motorcycle from expressways? Well, ok, if they are allowed, they should be made to stick strictly to the left side next to shoulder. Sometimes I really think many motorcyclist here really have a deathwish, riding on the rightmost lane for no apparent reason, and at slow speed as well. Heck, with the lousy drivers around here, I am always afraid that the driver behind me would bang to me when I had to brake suddenly. If that happen, my car would be damaged, but if you are riding a bike, that's it... so why would they ever ride, 60km/h on the rightmost lane???

[sundaymorningstaple]

Average skills are rather low...

There, my friends, is the epitome of understatement!

[Makan24-7]

The problem lies in that people here
1. don't respect the personal space of others
2. are too caught up in their own interests and lack consideration of others
3. suffer from serious tunnel vision, myopia and a one-tracked mind. Can't anticipate what others are doing nor do they care.

These problems transcend driving.. hell, even walking...... darn, just about everything..

Pardon moi.... this is me after another 7 pints of hoegaarden...

[Makan24-7]

Ok ok.. too sweeping a statement.. let me rephrase

The problem lies in that A LOT OF people here

[Superglide]

... However, what I also don't understand is why those motorcycles are allowed to enter the expressways.. I mean, I heard the statistics says that most fatalities of road accidents are incurred when one of the party involved is motorcycle. Surely an easy way to reduce that is to ban motorcycle from expressways? Well, ok, if they are allowed, they should be made to stick strictly to the left side next to shoulder..

Excuse me?

So because them local motocyclists and their Malaysian colleagues are such idiots for reasons mentioned so well by makan24-7, I as a biker with a clear sense of safety for myself and my fellow traffic, should be banned from the expressways?

I know you mean well, but that's putting the horse behind the carriage imho.

As long as Singapore will have floods of Malaysian motocyclist workers commuting between Singapore and JB, nothing will change. The government gere doesnot give a hoot about them, they are replacable when they die, as simple as that.

For a country with such strict laws, it is really beyond comprehension to see how little traffic law enforcement there is in Singapore.

Ah well, when watching the few police cars driving the same way as the morons on the roads, it answers my question. How can one teach knowledge one doesnot have in the first place?

[DimWit Kid]

I expect that from you, seeing your avatar is a motorbike.

As I said in the previous post, yes, if motorbikes are allowed to be in expressways, make a lane for them. Make it an offence to go on the two rightmost lane or something. I have seen too many accidents myself in the past 10 years, of motorcycle getting rammed from behind on those lines. Ok, maybe the cars are at fault, but if I'm on a bike, I won't even think of going there. I'm sure you can think that way as well superglide, but apparently most of local bikers can't. Mind you, I must have seen as many as a dozen or so accidents involving bikers, none of them are with Malaysian number (caveat: I do not use BKE often, so they may be there a lot). So no, I think the problem is not only Malaysian. I suspect maybe they have more sense of safety compared to the local ones here.

Back home, no motorcycle is crazy enough to go on expressways, even if it's allowed. Let alone on rightmost lane of the expressways! They know how crazy it could be - my rant is of these people who doesn't have that!

[Plavt]

DimWitKid,
Have you not considered a motorcyclist is far more vulnerable than somebody in a car? I would therefore argue if anybody needs to be more considerate it is the car drivers. I do not see any reason to ban them from expressways since riders pay road tax the way anybody else does nor is there any reason to keep them confined to a particular lane. You appear to have a problem with Malaysian motorcyclists for some reason yet I remember a Singaporean taxi driver telling me there were motorcycle accidents everyday involving Singaporeans!

[DimWit Kid]

Plavt

Quote me where I seem to have problem with Malaysian motorcycle riders? Let's not talk out of spite here. I did say they have more sense of safety than the local ones when superglide said it was Malaysian ones who causes trouble.

And precisely because I think they are vulnerable, they need to be given a special lane, or at least confine them to slower lane. Accidents do happen, and if nothing is going to be done with the average low skills of driving here, one needs to do something to prevent fatal accidents. I can argue the other way, why do they need to be on rightmost lane, when what they seem to be able to so well do (without regards to their own safety) is to weave in and out of lane? There are bans of motorcycle in other countries - not because of prejudice, but because of safety consideration. Accidents do happen. And while a bump at 40km/hr to a car in front of you will result in damaged exterior and probably a bit more, it is fatal for motorcycle riders.

I rode motorcycle in my home country - believe me the traffic is much more crazy than here, and there are more cars there in my city compared to the number of people in Singapore. But I never felt as scared to have an accident compared to here (I felt afraid sometimes that I will get mugged, but not getting rammed by stupid drivers), and I will never go into the expressways - first of all it's not allowed, and secondly, why would I want to be around cars shuttling at 140km/hr on my motorbike?

If we are talking about increasing the safety standard, I don't think I suggested anything wrong. Just yelling that drivers should be more considerate will not bring much, I bet if you separate the motorcycle and the car traffic, the statistic of safety for motorcycle riders are going to be much better.