Bicycle versus truck

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well, frankly, I sold my car in 1991 due to the driving conditions one finds themselves in here no matter which road they are on. Had I continued to drive here, I would have eventually taken a tire iron to some poor sod who probably wouldn't have deserved it because (s)he only and 20 hours behind the steering wheel before (s)he managed to pass a test so therefore didn't really know how to actually drive a car but only aim it. Therefore I figured I could more enjoy life on the bus & mrt. Now days I don't miss it at all.

[Rich D]

Anyone who considers standards of driving in Singapore to be horrendous clearly hasn't driven in some parts of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, anywhere in Africa or even Italy. I refuse to drive in my current location where the line markings seem to be a rough guide only, 1 way streets are routinely ignored and vehicles turning from a minor road into a major one seem to have right of way over traffic already on the major road.

That said I agree with the observations of lane indiscipline in Singapore and the futility of giving way to emergency vehicles. Even if all local drivers did ot too, I have never seen a police car, ambulance or fire engine break a red light in Singapore - even cautiously - as is the case at least here and the UK.

Driving mores are different in Singapore, if you signal early in the hope of being let into an occupied lane, you will be disappointed as it is unusual to be waved out. However if you edge out, you may get a flash but the driver behind whose place you have edged into is unlikely to move up so close on your bumper that he can read the manufacturer's name on your odometer. UK drivers are generally certainly more 'chatty' - we wave to each other and acknowledge someone who gives way to us. Probably Singaporeans come back after driving over there and wonder at how we so infrequently have 2 hands on the wheel! In short, to survive you have to try to drive like everyone else so that your actions are predictable to other drivers and you can predict them.

It was refreshing to see some opinions on this thread backed up by statistics but they left me thinking if fatalilties per capita is a good indication of the driving skills. For a start a UK population of 60M seems a bit low - perhaps they did not count asylum seekers. Secondly I'd like to bet (unlike WIMH, fair play to you, I have not been careful enough to check) that UK drivers spend longer, drive further and faster in their cars. Perhaps accidents or injuries per 1,000 kilometres travelled would give a better reflection? Mind you perhaps not, when we were at school we used to tell the joke about a minor collision between 2 lime green Datsuns in Southall High Street. Apparently 32 people were taken to hospital for whiplash.

[Strong Eagle]

I think it has little to do with nationality. People who clearly can't drive shouldn't be allowed to. They are endangering my life which obviously pisses me off no end ( so forgive me for threating to punch your lights out when you drive like a muppet. It's self defence) !!!!!!!! not to mention everybody elses and their own.

Singapore seems to have a lot more than it's fair share of incompetent drivers ...lets face it. And when Singaporeans are very bullish when they hit the top of world listings they shouldn't just bury their heads in the sand and scream foreigner arrogance when it's a "bad" list.

It would be easier for me to accept your criticism and advice if you came from a country with a lower per capita road fatality rate (deaths per 100,000) than ours. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case:

Singapore
No. of road fatalities in 2006 = 190
Population in 2006 = 4.5 million
Per capita road fatality rate = 4.22

Sources:
Singapore road fatalities in 2006
Singapore population 2006

UK
No. of road fatalities in 2006 = 3172
Population in 2006 = 60 million
Per capita road fatality rate = 5.28

Source:
UK and US road fatalities 2006

USA
No. of road fatalities in 2006 = 42,000
Population in 2006 = 300 million
Per capita road fatality rate = 14

Source: same as for UK above

Other countries
Singapore's per capita road fatality rate of 4.57 in 2004 was higher only than Malta's and lower than all other countries including the OECD.

Sources:
Multi-country road fatality data 2004
Singapore road fatalities 2004
Singapore population 2004


So you see, your life is actually less endangered here than back home or almost anywhere else. For your sake I'd welcome you to stay except that you'd obviously be miserable living among people who piss you off so much.

I have no problem with driving in Singapore... it has its share of goofballs but traffic and drivers are much worse in many places in the world... including the US.

The only comment I might make is that fatalities per capita is not a good measure. The average American drives many more miles than the average Brit or Singer... a better measure of safety would be fatalities per 100,000 miles... the US would still come in worse than Singapore I believe but without such a large disparity.

[banana]

in the context of being endangered by other motorists, because we are all such skilled drivers, how significant are accidents on country roads? sure, fatigue plays a part but more often than not, those involve running into a ditch or wildlife.

damn those pesky deers/roos/hitchhikers! why can't they learn to indicate before jumping out of nowhere!

[ksl]

Old statistics but look at table 17 percentage crash distribution by vulnerable road users! Is very high up on the chart with 84 fatal and 91 injuries. Compared to Taiwan 89 fatal 80 injuries considering 22 million population and probably only 2.5 or 3 million in Singapore when the statistics was done in 96. Actual vehicles on the road must be a very small amount, when compared to Taiwan.

The fact is Singaporeans have very little spatial awareness or intelligence read link below. I was watching some guy attempting to park his car, after 15 minutes i asked him if he needed help, but he said no, so I attempted to guide him anyway, and he still couldn't see me and continued to reverse so very badly he kept mounting the kerb.

I have had close encounters on my bike with buses and the odd taxi, but if one rides in the middle of the road it's safer all they do is beep, they have tunnel vision i think....except WIMH that is...is that really WIMH pic?

http://www.factbook.net/EGRF_Regional_a ... acific.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_ ... elligences

[ozchick]

except WIMH that is...is that really WIMH

Oh Kaysey..........................and I thought you cared!

[Wind In My Hair]

is that really WIMH pic?

That's me in my dreams!

[ksl]

is that really WIMH pic?

That's me in my dreams!

You have good taste then, like myself, although dreams are very important in life, and are easy to tune into for some

No one needs looks to be accepted or loved, my wife reminds me of the fact, that i am no Paul Newman and my legs are to short ha! But she would never swap me on a good day that is!

Poor ozchick, you are too much for me to handle, I'm only a poor pussy cat leo, retired from the stage, and only good for the knackers yard, since my prime days but if it wasn't for women, life would be a bore, I love you all sincerely.

Although my eyes do light up with astonishing speed, when i see pretty fillies in my sights and memories of OZchick 1970 flashing by, are still vivid, and very nice....I count my blessings and think what a wonderful life i have had, to share with so many wonderful people, But Ozchick 1970 could drink more pints than me but what a bycycle she was, and definately a sports model, when i compare her to the truck i had from Scotland, no offence to those from Scotland meant, it was just that i was so drunk and i had no say in the matter, she took me home and I confessed the next day, she wasn't my type

[earthfriendly]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_ ... elligences

Thank you for the link. I enjoy reading it tremendously. Despite the shortcomings of the MI theory, I totally relate to it. Yeah, yeah, people like my Einstein husband will find lots of loophole in his methodology i.e. not scientific enough but based on my experience dealing with people, I find it to be very applicable

"I balk at the unwarranted assumption that certain human abilities can be arbitrarily singled out as intelligence while others cannot"

I could not say it any better myself. Why do we assign more economic value to certain kind of intelligence e.g. math, science, writing and verbal ? A software engineer makes excellent pay in silicon valley while teachers are struggling. Aren't the teachers doing a job that's just as important (if not more), educating and enlightening young minds? Society is lopsided in that respect. And standardized tests administered by schools perpetuate it. Having left the SG education system 2 decades ago, I am no longer in the loop. Based on my understanding it has gotten even more academic and competitive than it was. What a loss of human talent!

Take it with a grain of salt! This is all from the POV of someone who does not do well in a traditional classroom setting with four concrete walls. And all that test taking killed my interest in learning. On the other hand, there are people who thrive on exams and they use it as a measure of their their efforts (and intelligence?).

Back to the topic. Trucks and bicycles should share the road. However, in SG, they think cars and trucks have right of way over the cyclists and latter should stay in the footpath so as not to be a hazard to other car drivers. It is not easy to spot a cyclist in an ocean of cars. And I felt that way too. I have to adjust my thinking in the USA. Not that I would push a cyclist off the road if I were behind the wheel, USA or SG. And I agree with the forumer who encourages cyclists to group together. Much safer that way.