Autopilot. Mindfulness. Prevention. Like fickle road conditions, the buzzword for the Overseas Safety Driving Forum 2025 took on shifting forms but the crux, as always, was situational awareness of the highest order.
More Singaporeans have been taking to foreign roads in recent years. While their spirit of adventure is admirable, an unfortunate consequence of their derring-do is increased road fatalities.
To address this issue, the Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS) has been regularly organising its signature Overseas Safety Driving Forum (OSDF). The 2025 edition, held on 6 September at the Cassia Junior Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, featured eight distinguished speakers from international road safety experts to an orthopaedic surgeon who provided a comprehensive overview on safely navigating the roads of their respective homeland.
AAS was deeply honoured to welcome Mr Carmelo Sanz de Barros, President of the FIA Senate and President of the Royal Automobile Club of Spain, as the Guest of Honour at the Overseas Safe Driving Forum. Despite his busy schedule, Mr Sanz de Barros made time to attend the event, engaging warmly with participants and reaffirming his support for AAS’ efforts to promote safe driving and strengthen international collaboration within the motoring community.
AAS President, Mr Bernard Tay, expressed gratitude for the participation of the illustrious speakers, and thanked Mr Carmelo Sanz de Barros, President, FIA Senate, for gracing the occasion as its special guest. Mr Tay also thanked the 180 AAS members who turned up for the half-day event, as their support “reflects our shared commitment to promoting safe driving practices globally”.
Highlighting the increased spate of road accidents involving Singaporeans overseas, Mr Tay stressed that “the Singaporean driving environment presents a vastly different driving experience compared to countries with larger land masses, and diverse weather patterns and terrains, which may demand different driving skills and habits”.
Building on Mr Tay’s observation, the speakers drove home practical strategies for adaptive driving and road safety beyond our shores.
Road Risks: Distraction & Fatigue Awareness
Distraction is a leading cause of road accidents, home and away. And phone addiction, according to Mr Tay Chay Sim, Senior Technical Consultant and Trainer, AAS Academy, often follows us onto asphalt.
“The main reasons for mobile phone usage are navigation, music selection, replying to messages, and answering calls,” Mr Tay explained, citing findings from an FIA-supported joint survey by AAS and Nanyang Polytechnic. The study examined driver behaviour and perceptions of distracted driving in Singapore.
While 93.1% of respondents agreed that mobile phone usage affects driving performance, there lies a misconception that using hands-free devices is much safer than handheld devices. The simple fact, Mr Tay emphasised, is that distracted driving slows reaction times, leading to longer stopping distances and higher risks of accidents. Forget about multi-tasking, he advised, as it is important to avoid distracting activities and focus on driving.
Distracted driving aside, Mr Tay noted that 20% of road accidents can be attributed to fatigue. Not only does fatigue decrease reaction times and awareness, it can also lead to micro-sleep. Therefore, drivers should rest well before long drives, and avoid driving immediately after a long flight. More importantly, drivers should take a break every two hours, and recharge when fatigued with a nap lasting 10–30 minutes.
Building Safer Roads: For the Children
With road accidents a leading cause of death among children, it is imperative that roads, especially those around school zones, are youth-accessible.
“Instead of perceiving accidents involving children as a result of their behaviour on the road, we should regard the crash as a fault in urban systems,” said Ms Agnieszka Krasnolucka, Programmes Director, FIA Foundation, a global philanthropy foundation dedicated to addressing road safety issues worldwide.
Simple, cost-effective measures like zebra crossings, speed bumps, and elevated pavements can make a huge difference. Ensuring safety school zones and a speed limit of 30km/h is a public need and governmental responsibility. More pertinently, the FIA has introduced a free Star Ratings for Schools tool to measure and manage road safety. Used in 76 countries, it has contributed to over 1,900 school zone upgrades.
Building Safer Roads: Road Infrastructure & Planning Ahead
After Mr Ignacio Fernández, Director, Jarama Circuit & Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) Foundation, provided an overview of the foundation’s role in promoting traffic management and road safety worldwide through training and education programmes, he added that road infrastructure and culture differ greatly between countries. Thus, travellers must familiarise themselves with weather conditions, road signs, local driving behaviour, and the differences between highways, urban and rural roads.
“Carry your national driver’s licence and the International Driving Permit (IDP) at all times,” he reminded, adding that a Carnet de Passage en Douane (CPD) is required for private motor vehicles abroad.
Driving in Japan
In Japan, road safety awareness campaigns are tailored to children and adults of all ages.
Mr Michihiro Toki, Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) Certified Safety Advisor, highlighted the parallels between Japan and Singapore, from comparable speed limits to left-keeping road system. He then underscored the risks posed by e-scooters in Japan, with the high potential of collisions with cars due to significant speed differences. JAF-produced training videos help drivers spot potential risks such as blind intersections; the initiative has boosted vehicle stop rates at crosswalks from just 7.6% in 2016 to 53% in 2024.
For Singaporeans driving in Japan, Mr Toki recommended registering rental cars with JAF for “peace of mind” and consulting the JAF website for helpful information.
Driving in Malaysia
With thousands of Singaporeans taking to Malaysian roads each day, the risk of accidents is always present.
In his presentation, Professor Wong Shaw Voon, Chairman, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), flagged common roadside hazards, including unprotected guardrails, trees, and mountainous roads. Impact at 80km/h is like falling from the ninth floor, he warned, stressing the importance of obeying speed limits. Road users in Malaysia can soon expect a new point-to-point speed camera system, which calculates a vehicle’s average speed between two points.
“If you get in a crash, do not stay in your car,” Prof Wong added. “Move behind the road barriers and place your safety triangle 40m away from your vehicle.”
Driving in Thailand
With over 700,000km of highways, municipal and village roads, Thailand is a haven for driving afficionados.
While singing the praises of Thailand’s seven scenic main routes, Mr Theera Bunnag, Vice President, Royal Automobile Association of Thailand, nevertheless outlined the importance of making rest stops, citing the accessibility of rest areas across the kingdom.
As the Land of Smiles has one of the world’s highest road accident rates, its drivers are reminded to carry mandatory insurance (via GoThai or CheckDI) with them and consider voluntary travel coverage. Allianz Assistance and Poh Teck Tung Foundation emergency response are reliable services for drivers in duress. Finally, while Thailand has over 600 PTT charging stations, careful planning is essential for EV drivers due to their vehicles’ limited range.
Road Risks: Injuries & Risk Mitigation from a Medical Perspective
The dangers of driving while fatigued were also highlighted by Dr Woo Yew Lok, Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, Singapore General Hospital. As a trauma surgeon, he is the “last line of defence” who treats patients suffering from severe injuries — many of them sustained on the road.
Dr Woo began his segment by sharing common injuries caused by road accidents, including simple fractures, pelvic fractures, polytrauma involving multiple fractures and organ injuries, and open fractures that run the risks of infection and amputation. “Road accidents cause 50 million injuries and 1 million fatalities worldwide,” he stated gravely. “They are a leading cause of death among children and youths.”
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. An avid overseas driver himself, Dr Woo advised audience members to obtain insurance covering medical evacuation and treatment, and to rent cars with modern safety features, such as blind spot detectors and automatic emergency brakes. Another tip he gave was to avoid driving unfamiliar car models. “The centre of gravity for a caravan is at the back, unlike a sedan,” he said. This adds another risk, compounding the challenge of navigating right-keeping road systems.
Mindful Driving Solutions
“Mindful driving is about cultivating a mindset that turns every journey into an act of respect, empathy, and calm,” said Mr Tan Hun Twang, AAS General Committee Member.
An active participant of overland drives in far-flung destinations like Tibet and Central Asia, many of which were with AAS’ Autoventure, Mr Tan shared several tips and memorable anecdotes in the face of unique challenges, including high altitudes, extreme terrains, and adverse weather:
- Be patient
- Treat delays and detours as opportunities to reset
- Maintain a nimble grip on the wheel
- Be mindful of tyre pressure
- Familiarise oneself with local traffic laws
Audience Takeaway
From x-rays of injuries to accident footage, from practical driving tips to road safety statistics, the forum left audiences with a lasting impression on road safety, and renewed confidence in tackling unfamiliar roads.
Mr Jason Ong, a lifetime AAS member who had attended the 2023 edition of OSDF, said this year’s event broadened his understanding of “different driving cultures”. He added, “After today, I’ll definitely switch off my phone when driving!”
“As retirees, we’ll certainly be travelling more,” shared Mr Vincent Lye, another lifetime AAS member. He and his wife, Rebecca, were attending the forum for the first time. “We had hoped to gather safety tips for road-tripping and avoid possible blind spots in our planning, and this forum certainly helped.”
