Singapore Road Safety Month 2024 kicked off with Carnival for Families. The event sought to promote awareness of keeping safe on the roads to the community at large.

The Singapore Road Safety Month {SRSM) kicked off with the “Road Safety Carnival for Families – Road Safety Begins with You and Me”, held at Toa Payoh HDB Hub Atrium during the first weekend of June 2024. The total turnout across both days was about 9,000 attendees. Organised by Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) and Singapore Police Force (SPF), and co-organised by Land Transport Authority (LTA), Ministry of Education (MOE), People’s Association (PA), and Automobile Association of Singapore (AAS), the event took the important messages of road safety right into the heartland and delivered it through both interactive experiences and entertaining performances.

The Guest-of-Honour for the launch of this campaign was Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & Ministry of Transport. The event was also graced by Mr Alvin Chia, Group Director, Traffic & Road Operations, LTA; Mr Bernard Tay, Chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council and President of Automobile Association of Singapore; and SAC Daniel Tan, Commander, Traffic Police.

During the event, Dr Khor said, “Our road transport planners from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) prioritise safety as a key consideration in all infrastructure planning and design. To make our roads safer for our young and senior road users, LTA has implemented a series of programmes such as School Zones near schools and Silver Zones in areas with higher proportions of senior residents. Within these zones, there are enhanced traffic calming measures like reduced speed limits and more speed humps. Inculcating a strong road safety culture and graciousness among all road users takes time and commitment. This is why the work of the SRSC remains crucial.”

“To encourage responsible practices among all road users and promote road safety awareness, the Traffic Police and SRSC work with various partners and stakeholders on educational programmes. But we cannot do this without your support,” she added. “The tagline for this year’s Road Safety Month, ‘Road Safety Begins with You and Me’, is therefore apt. All of us have a part to play in making our roads safer.”Residents and guests enjoyed the funny skits and songs performed by local artistes, including Marcus Chin, Haohao, Lee Peifen, Lin Ruping, and their fellow co-stars. The performances were met with much laughter from the audience as the catchy tunes and compelling skits drove home the importance of road safety, such as the best way to cross a road, and how to extend the time for crossings by tapping the CEPAS-compliant senior citizen concession card or Green Man + card.

Dr Khor also visited the booths, stopping by to chat with the staff manning the booths which were operated by the Traffic Police and SRSC’s stakeholders like the Automobile Association of Singapore, Land Transport Authority, SMRT Corporation, and Singapore Civil Defence Force. She gamely took the controls of the SBS Transit bus simulator and also tried CPR on a practice dummy at the SCDF booth.

Chairman of SRSC, Mr Bernard Tay, stated, “At the heart of the Singapore Road Safety Month 2024 is a shared vision of safer roads for every family. Through interactive road safety activities and engaging performances, families are equipped with practical road safety knowledge. We hope that this would also foster a responsible road use culture. Together, let us prioritise safety and ensure that every journey is a safe and enjoyable experience for all.”

At AA Singapore’s booth, families got to learn more about staying safe on the road. Visitors of all ages learnt how to spot the blind spots for vehicles across different sizes, and tips for both drivers and pedestrians on how to remain alert and deal with heavy vehicle blind spots. Drivers also learned about the importance of driving at a safe speed, where excessive speed equates to higher fatality risks. In addition, AA Singapore showcased the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) Urban Mobility Platform, Singapore’s pilot project to better understand the impact of Active Mobility Devices (AMDs) and evaluate potential options to have AMDs integrated into Singapore’s transport ecosystem in a safe and complementary manner. The project supports the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 and utilises traffic data from the LTA to study areas in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok–Chai Chee, and Marina South. Findings thus far reveal a correlation between the increasing number of cyclists and collisions, improved safety through the removal of slip roads, and the protective benefits of bicycle boxes on roads.

Carnival for Families not only brought the community together but also reinforced the message that every step taken towards road safety contributes to a safer environment for everybody.

The SRSC has been organising the Singapore Road Safety Month for the past 12 years, consistently promoting greater road safety awareness among all road users.