Driving

[Given up driving]

I gave up driving 3 years back because the authorities are not doing enough to secure the safety of the roads. Motorists often disregard the safety of others are allowed to flaunt their ignorance on the roads , without much checks from the forces. Sometimes , I wonder , is Singapore having a shortage of police on the roads or they are deployed to a much higher risk area?

[Honestly don't know]

where some of you are from....... not just here and Hello...... this is reality but I have never seen the level of poor driving and laws broken to the extent that they are here.

This morning while dropping my son at school I was shocked to see a father (western) driving his big fancy fortuna through the gates with his 3 year old daughter on his lap steering???

Sorry, that kind of thing certainly would not happen in my home country. I have never lived in US or UK or Oz but I'm pretty sure I cannot see it happening there either because there is a police presence. Yes, people use their mobiles and yes people drive too fast but there are deterrents and they are aware that people (maybe seen as the unlucky ones) do get caught. I have lived here more than 10 years and can count on one hand the number of times I have seen traffic police. I remember road blocks set up once (about 8 years ago) on Holland Road shortly before Christmas where they were stopping people to breathalise them. I honestly do not understand how people say this country is so strict and that you get into trouble for soo many things. WHO is going to catch you?? Singapore is also supposed to be oh so clean and litter free, have those people ever taken a walk along the beach?? Have they ever  walked down the alley way that runs along the back of my house? This place truly is all fur coat and no knickers.

[Non Driver SG]

I'm American.  I don't drive here, by choice.  I happily pocket the car allowance and use cabs.  If my company forced me to get a car, I would probably only use it once or twice a week (if I needed to go to Jurong or Tuas or some other ulu place).

A few comments, many of which have been mentioned above:

1.  There appears to be little or no on-road police presence and enforcement.  It's all left to speed cameras and red light cameras.
In the US, which is a vastly bigger place, one really sees cops all over the roads and the cops WILL pull you and ticket you for speeding and running a red light or stop sign, of course, but also for "improper lane change" or "driving too fast for conditions" or similar small things.  People are aware of this stick, and mostly comply.

2.  Car insurance is expensive in the US and goes up a lot if you get tickets (see above).  So, the carrot of lower insurance rates also makes people comply.  I am not sure if that happens here, but since tickets and enforcement are much less it doesn't matter much anyway.

3.  I'm from a city of about 500,000.  Not huge, but not a village and still more cars than SG probably since everyone 16 years and up has at least one.  I LOVE driving when I visit home.  Watching an alternate merge happen flawlessly, each car in the main lane letting in one car from the merging lane, each car in the merging lane waiting their turn - it's cool and yet completely impossible here in SG.  People keeping their distance at speed, waving graciously as they let you shift in front of them, stopping at yellow lights, etc.  Car horns are NEVER used except to avoid an emergency.  It's a measure of societal maturity and organization, and Singapore just isn't there yet.

4.  Jakarta and Bangkok, with much much crappier infrastructure and driver training and a lot more cars and traffic seem to have fewer accidents than Singapore.  If it rains here, you WILL see accidents on the expressways all the time (I saw two yesterday, one on the PIE and one on the AYE).  The drivers in those places just have more situational awareness than in SG, here people are just unaware of what's happening on the road around them.

So, I just buckle up, zone out, and let the cabbies worry about it!
 

[how on earth]

PP how is cabbing safer than driving? The cabbies are the worst offenders. I'd rather trust myself than those numpties when possible.

[Non Driver SG]

It may or may not be safer.  Cabbies are on the road 8-12 hours per day putting up with this crap, so they have a lot of experience in avoiding accidents.  They also have financial incentives not to (if they get in a wreck, it costs them personally).

However, the main reason I don't want to drive is not my safety but my SANITY.  I don't want the hassle or stress.  I just zone out in the cab.  I take naps.  I check emails.  I look at the window at the idiots driving and sigh and think "I'm glad I'm not driving", etc.   

[JohnThomas]

I've been here for 47 years and I must say that I have always found drivers here to be patient, courteous and generally far better than any other country in the world. I sense some jealousy here!

[Ditto]

I've been here for 47 years and I must say that I have always found drivers here to be patient, courteous and generally far better than any other country in the world. I sense some jealousy here!

Second that. Been driving for more than 35 years here. Absolutely no problems at all.

[Yeah yeah]

I've been here for 47 years and I must say that I have always found drivers here to be patient, courteous and generally far better than any other country in the world. I sense some jealousy here!

Obviously you have travelled much in the last 47 years, or you have been here so long you have become blinded to what is meant by patient or courteous. either way, you haven't got a clue.