Singapore sees spike in speeding violations as deaths in speeding-related accidents rise by 43.8%

Last year, Singapore saw spikes in the number of fatal traffic accidents due to speeding as well as the number of speeding violations.

Speeding-related fatal accidents rose by 43.8 per cent, from 32 cases in 2023 to 46 cases in 2024, said the traffic police in their annual Road Traffic Situation report on Friday (Feb 21).

There was a 64.8 per cent jump in the number of speeding violations in 2024 as compared to 2023. The police noted 191,931 such cases last year, up from the 116,440 cases in the year before.

Additionally, the proportion of fatal accidents occurring due to speeding was 33.1 per cent in 2024, a notable increase from 24.4 per cent in 2023, said the traffic police.

The total number of traffic accidents also saw an overall increase in 2024 as compared to the previous year, primarily affecting motorcyclists or pillion riders and elderly pedestrians.

Motorcyclists or pillion riders were involved in more than half of all traffic accidents and made up almost 60 per cent of traffic fatalities.

This was the case despite motorcycles making up only 14.7 per cent of all vehicles on Singapore's roads.

Fatal accidents involving motorcyclists increased by 20.8 per cent, from 72 cases in 2023 to 87 cases in 2024.

Meanwhile, the number of motorcyclist and pillion rider deaths increased by 25 per cent, with 85 persons last year as compared to 68 persons in 2023.

While 2024 saw a 12.7 per cent drop in the number of traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians as well as a 50 per cent drop in the number of fatalities, the police noted that this group remains overrepresented in pedestrian fatalities.

Although the elderly make up a small portion of Singapore's population, they were involved in 42.3 per cent of all fatal traffic accidents involving pedestrians and accounted for 44 per cent of pedestrian fatalities.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Commander of Traffic Police Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Daniel Tan stated that the traffic police plan to step up enforcement due to the "worrying trend" of speeding-related offences and accidents.

"All of us, as road users, have to look after the vulnerable groups...every time you get behind the wheel of a car or the handlebar of a motorbike, you have the potential to cause a serious or fatal accident," he said.

"I'd like to urge everybody to do their part for road safety."

Upcoming measures to crack down on speedsters include installing more red-light cameras in accident- and violation-prone areas as well as increasing the composition fines and demerit points for speeding, said the traffic police.

Composition fines will increase by between $50 and $150 while demerit points will rise by up to six points.

The stiffer penalties will take effect starting Jan 1, 2026, announced Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam at the inaugural Road Safety Day on Feb 15.

"People will get a number of months to get used to this idea, hopefully it will shape behaviour," he said.

"People are dying and getting injured... every vehicle is a potential missile in the roads — it's dangerous if you don't use it properly."

Vice Chairman of Singapore Road Safety Council, Patrick Koh, told the media on Friday that the council hopes to "reduce accidents and promote a safer, more responsible, driving culture for everyone" by raising awareness about road safety.

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

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