As a Singaporean who has lived abroad in Germany and Holland for six years, one thing that struck me when I returned to Singapore in 2017 was the relatively few speed cameras on roads, highways and traffic crossings (Fatal road accidents up in 2023; Traffic Police to raise demerit points for some offences, Feb 20).

The other was that driving discipline on our roads had worsened. Every day, I see significantly more cases of poor driving by bus drivers, truck drivers and passenger cars than a decade ago.

In Holland, highways have cameras on almost every overhead gantry, and there is very little tolerance for those going above the speed limit, which also changes frequently, even within several kilometres, making cruise control impossible to use. Drivers thus have to be extra vigilant of their speed.

In Germany, someone who drives off an autobahn onto a country road might have to slow down to 30kmh, while going through a tiny hamlet with five houses by the road; or when passing a school. Drivers who do not slow down are sent a ticket with a big fine, with their face clearly seen in a photo.

On Singapore’s highways, I have seen vehicles zigzagging across three lanes, far above the speed limit, without any indicator lights either. These indisciplined drivers don’t seem to have been given tickets, or they would surely be more careful.

I have some suggestions for the authorities to consider.

Introduce graduated speed limits on roads where schools are located, and have road bumps before and after all school zones to force drivers to slow down. This is particularly essential for smaller roads.

Have more cameras on highways, and link them to an artificial intelligence-enabled system that records speed violators, as well as lane violators, and issues them speeding tickets instantly.

Consider using Finland’s regime for fines for speeding and beating traffic red lights, where the fine is based on the driver’s income. This will hurt some of the rich and rash drivers who probably don’t care about the current fines.

The recent move to stop discretionary right turns is good. We need more of such decisive steps to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads, rash drivers included.

Rahul Patwardhan