Launch of Singapore Road Safety Month 2025 – Speech by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Home Affairs

Mr Bernard Tay, Chairman, Singapore Road Safety Council,

SAC Daniel Tan, Commander, Traffic Police,

Mr Alvin Chia, Senior Group Director, Traffic & Road Operations, LTA

Distinguished Guests, Sponsors and Partners,

1. Good morning. Thank you for joining us here, marking the Singapore Road Safety Month 2025, the 10th Anniversary of the Use Your RoadSense initiative and the Singapore Ride Safe 2025.

Road Safety Situation 2024

2. The road safety situation in Singapore continues to demand our attention and collective action. In 2024, we witnessed an increase in the total number of traffic accidents compared to 2023. Of particular concern is the significant rise in speeding violations, which puts all road users at risk.

3. Motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians continue to be disproportionately involved in traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death. These statistics remind us that we must strengthen our efforts to protect all road users, especially the most vulnerable ones.

Singapore Road Safety Month 2025

4. Today marks the launch of our annual Singapore Road Safety Month, alongside a milestone in our "Use Your RoadSense" movement. This movement has grown into an integral part of Singapore's broader road safety efforts.

5. In support of this Singapore Road Safety month and the "Use Your RoadSense" movement, we are launching several key initiatives. I am pleased to announce the 'Safe Streets' street interview series by Singapore Road Safety Council, which brings road safety discussions directly to our community. It features five weekly videos where we test various road users, including motorists, elderly pedestrians, children, caregivers and cyclists, on their road safety knowledge. These videos will be released progressively throughout the month.

6. Aligned with our movement's focus on education, we are introducing the Handheld 'STOP' Sign Pilot Programme for primary schools. Students can use these signs at designated crossings. This simple yet eye-catching tool will make students more visible to approaching vehicles. It will complement existing safety measures like the Kerb Drill, and foster road safety habits and graciousness in our young ones and motorists.

Protecting Our Vulnerable Road Users

7. The Annual Road Traffic Situation 2024 statistics show that motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in 55.2% of all traffic accidents and made up 59.9% of all traffic fatalities.

8. To address these alarming figures, we have integrated “Singapore Ride Safe”, our annual road safety event for motorcyclists, into the Singapore Road Safety Month. This integration allows us to synergise and amplify our safety messages and reach a wider audience while streamlining our outreach efforts. We have also introduced new elements to our programme, including talks by Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on trauma prevention through proper gear usage.

9. I am also pleased to launch the 2025 Reward the Sensible Motorists initiative. Over the next three months from 1 June to 31 August 2025, Traffic Police will identify and reward responsible motorists who demonstrate good road safety habits, such as wearing appropriate protective gear and signalling before changing lanes. This year, we are expanding the campaign from motorcyclists and drivers to bus operators.

10. The Traffic Police will continue to maintain strict enforcement against drivers who fail to secure children below 1.35m in child restraints. A tragic accident in September 2021, where a two-month-old infant lost her life while not being in a proper car seat, serves as a sobering reminder of the necessity of proper child restraints. Today at our carnival, you can view various types of child restraints suitable for different age groups, helping parents and caregivers make informed choices to protect their precious young ones.

Speed Limiter Installation in Lorries

11. Beyond protecting our young ones, we must also address other critical aspects of road safety. One key area is the management of vehicle speeds, particularly for larger vehicles on our roads. Speed limiters are designed to restrict a vehicle's maximum speed, working in conjunction with infrastructure improvements and enforcement to reduce accidents leading to fatalities and serious injuries.

12. Lorries with maximum laden weight between 3,501kg and 12,000kg must be fitted with speed limiters before the phased deadlines starting 1 January 2026. However, only a small fraction of these lorries have installed speed limiters so far. I urge all lorry owners to install these devices early, not just to ensure compliance and avoid workshop bottlenecks, but more importantly, to protect lives on our roads.

13. We have authorised agents at our carnival today to provide guidance for installation and booking appointments. Early installation helps drivers avoid speeding tickets, which may lead to fines, suspensions and driver downtime.

Community Engagement Initiatives and Carnival

14. Our community engagement extends through strategic placement of Mr Zebra standees and Ride Safe advisory messages at high-traffic locations across the island. We are distributing road safety banners to all Neighbourhood Police Centres and installing lamp post banners with targeted safety messages at locations identified by TP and LTA.

15. Today's carnival brings road safety education to life through interactive experiences. Visitors can explore road safety through hands-on activities, including vehicle blind spot demonstrations by SBS Transit Limited, quizzes on road safety, and proper riding gear exhibitions. We have also lined up expert sharing sessions throughout the day, featuring CPR and AED demonstrations by SCDF, child safety talks by healthcare professionals, and safe driving techniques by our driving instructors.

16. Families can explore our mini road circuit, where children learn proper road crossing techniques in a safe environment. Through hands-on practice, children will develop good habits that they can apply in their daily lives.

Conclusion

17. Let me thank our sponsors, partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support. To our participating agencies - Traffic Police, Singapore Road Safety Council, Land Transport Authority, Ministry of Education, People's Association and Automobile Association of Singapore - you have been our strongest advocates for road safety, and your long-standing support for this campaign is invaluable.

18. Remember, road safety begins with you and me. Let us all continue to play our part in keeping our roads safe.

19. Thank you.