Debated in Parliament on 14 Apr 2014.
Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs if he will provide an annual breakdown, for each year from 2009 to 2013, on the number of cyclists who were killed in road accidents while cycling across (i) pedestrian crossings at traffic junctions and (ii) zebra crossings.
Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs if he will provide an annual breakdown, for each year from 2009 to 2013, on the number of cyclists who were hit by motorists while cycling across (i) signalised pedestrian crossings at traffic junctions and (ii) zebra crossings.
Page: 107
Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what were the actual minimum and maximum penalties imposed on motorists responsible for road accidents involving cyclists from 2009 to 2013; (b) what were the particulars of these cases; and (c) whether there is an increasing trend of accidents involving cyclists from January 2013 to March 2014, and, if so, whether the Ministry would mount a concerted road safety campaign targeted at motorists to help ensure cyclist safety and to condition motorists to look out for them on roads.
The number of accidents between cyclists and motorists at signalised pedestrian crossings and zebra crossings between 2009 and 2013 are shown in the table below.
Over the last five years, there were 16 accidents on average each year between cyclists and vehicles at signalised pedestrian crossings and zebra crossings. About one out of these 16 cases each year was fatal. There is no discernible trend in these numbers.
The number of cyclist accidents as a whole has generally been on the downtrend over this period, from 592 in 2009 to 371 in 2013 (reduction of 37%).
A driver who causes injury or death to a person, including a cyclist, in a road traffic accident may be charged under the Penal Code or the Road Traffic Act. The actual penalties vary according to the circumstances of each case and the degree of culpability of the driver. In egregious cases where there is gross
Page: 108
negligence, imprisonment terms have been imposed in addition to lengthy driving bans.
The Traffic Police (TP) conduct regular talks and exhibitions to educate the public on cycling rules and safe riding. Cycling-related components are included in the curriculum and driving tests for motorists. For example, learner drivers are taught to give ample room to cyclists when passing them and not to make sharp turns at corners.
TP, MOT, LTA and the other stakeholders like the Singapore Road Safety Council also work together through interagency platforms to review and develop appropriate road safety initiatives for cyclists. The Government will consider the suggestion to focus on cyclist safety as part of a road safety campaign.
PAPERCUTS