A 55-year-old man who considers it his duty to assist accident victims has been fined for modifying his car with four red-and-blue warning lights. He also added "Emergency Response Team" stickers to his vehicle.
Mr Lim Kim Long told Shin Min Daily News that he had witnessed a collision between two cars on the Pan-Island Expressway in January last year.
He stopped to assist, providing First Aid to a driver whose hand was cut by the airbag.
The trained first responder keeps his car equipped with a First Aid kit, an automated external defibrillator (AED), a fire extinguisher and a stretcher. He explained that he uses the warning lights for safety reasons when stopping to assist at accident scenes.
"I purchased the warning lights online and installed them on the front and rear of my car. I activate them only after stopping at an accident site to help those injured," he said.
However, while assisting the injured driver on PIE, auxiliary police officers arrived and questioned him about the lights. They also took down his identification details.
The next day, Mr Lim received a notice requiring him to send his car for inspection by Feb 4 because of the unauthorised installation of additional warning lights.
He received two more $100 fines – one was for failing to send his car for inspection and the other for installing the warning lights without authorisation, both violations of the Road Traffic Act.
"I didn’t comply because I have a clear conscience about my actions," he said.
[[nid:690047]]
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.