Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Ensuring Pedestrian Safety at Pedestrian Crossings by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question

681. Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether there are plans for Government agencies such as the Traffic Police, LTA and NEA to work together to jointly deploy surveillance technologies to achieve their various goals including ensuring pedestrian safety at pedestrian crossings or zebra crossings.

684. Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of accidents that have occurred in each of the past three years as a result of motor vehicles failing to slow down and take adequate care at pedestrian or zebra crossings; and (b) how does the Traffic Police ensure that motorists comply with existing traffic rules to slow down near such crossings.

Answer:

1. Between 2014 and 2016, there were on average about 220 accidents involving pedestrians at signalised pedestrian crossings and zebra crossings each year. Most occurred because the motorist had failed to drive safely.

2. The Traffic Police ("TP") uses cameras to deter and detect irresponsible driving. Red-light and speeding cameras have been deployed at high-risk areas. TP also conducts enforcement operations at pedestrian crossings.

3. To support its investigations into accidents, TP also obtains footages from the camera networks of other Government agencies, including the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Housing Development Board (HDB).

4. The availability of images from in-vehicle cameras has also helped. In December 2014, TP's 'E-Feedback on Road Users' portal was enhanced to allow members of the public to upload video footages. TP investigates all submitted footages.

5. Penalties for irresponsible driving are heavy. A motorist who has caused death through rash driving is liable for imprisonment term for up to 5 years, a fine, or both. MHA is currently reviewing the penalties, to ensure that they remain an effective deterrent against irresponsible driving.

6. Notwithstanding TP's various efforts, pedestrians, cyclists and users of personal mobility devices must themselves exercise due care before crossing the road, even when they have the right of way. They should always check for traffic to make sure that the road is clear before crossing.