Management of Traffic Conditions after Accidents

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Traffic Police can consider diverting motorists to use alternative routes at road exits immediately before a traffic accident site so that there will not be a consequential heavy traffic pile-up when an accident occurs; and (b) what other measures can Traffic Police take to better manage traffic conditions following an accident in addition to the current measures.

The Traffic Police (TP) works closely with LTA to promptly respond to and manage road traffic accidents, with a view to minimising delays and disruption to the motoring public. The priorities of our responders include rendering medical aid to injured persons, processing the accident scene for investigations, and clearing accident vehicles expeditiously.

The resulting impact of traffic accidents can differ greatly depending on factors, such as location, severity of accident, road and weather conditions. In cases where one or two lanes remain passable, TP and LTA will manage the traffic flow such that there are minimal disruption and inconvenience caused to other road users. TP officers may be despatched to assist with traffic regulation. Traffic alerts will also be issued via various channels such as LTA's signs and website, smartphone mobile applications, and radio broadcasts to pre-warn motorists to avoid travelling along the affected stretch of road.

Depending on the ground situation, TP may implement an active road diversion plan to divert traffic to alternative routes to further ease the congestion. In these instances, the diversionary points will depend on carriageway capacity of the peripheral roads, traffic conditions and other prevailing circumstances. At the same time, TP and LTA will strive to process the traffic accident scene quickly and make roads passable in the shortest possible time. For instance, the LTA has tow trucks on standby to swiftly move accident vehicles to road shoulders for expressway accidents to minimise traffic impact and avoid prolonged congestion.

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Congestions as a result of traffic accidents not only bring inconvenience to the motoring public, they can delay emergency assistance to accident casualties. Motorists passing an accident scene should drive on without distraction and keep safe. Their cooperation allows police and medical resources to reach the accident scene quickly to manage the incident and render assistance to the accident victims. Motorists can also play their part by driving safely to prevent accidents from occurring. In addition, they should stay vigilant on the roads, be alert to regular traffic updates and adjust their driving routes accordingly in event of accidents.