Much to learn from horrific Tanjong Pagar car crash

 

The fatal car crash over Chinese New Year in Tanjong Pagar was the worst in a decade in Singapore. (Bernama pic)

Singapore’s most fatal car crash in a decade is the most honest reflection of national unity.

That’s the biggest takeaway from the self-inflicted car crash in Singapore last week over the Chinese New Year celebrations that killed all five of its male occupants.

Considered from almost any logical angle, it was an act not of a sane person. To drive at a speed of more than 200 kph in a built environment of a narrow road meant for 50 kph is like a game of Russian Roulette.

It’s a death game and no person in their right mind would initiate this if it could kill somewhat captive passengers. This was very clear in the minds of Singaporeans.

The response from Singaporean social media users, mostly Facebook, with video attachments and video analysis, converged towards an emotional outpouring of grief and/or the stupidity of it all.

As a Malaysian automotive journalist, who is a traffic safety advocate and someone who wishes to see a stark reduction in the number of road accident victims who are either killed or crippled, this incident did provide much food for thought.

If this same crash had happened in an equivalent urban setting in say, Petaling Jaya, there would have been a larger variety of responses.

First of all, there would be numerous cyber trooper discussions on whether there was drunkenness and drugs involved.

With the Muslim and non-Muslim community largely split on the issue, the cybertroopers would have demanded an outright ban on alcohol sales in Petaling Jaya for eternity.

Then, numerous discussions would have ignited about illegal speed tracks and how the narrow road should be humped and traffic calmed and how there was gambling with sex prizes.

All this by hate mongers to add fuel to fire.

Then the police would have to swoop in to stop the sedition erupting like fireworks over Chinese New Year and ban all social media broadcasts of the relevant videos.

That is what would have happened in Malaysia, where a road safety issue would be used by hatemongers to incite discord among the members of a generally harmonious multiracial and multi religious community.

The real issue is not about five people dying in one car in Singapore. That can be attributed to youthful and temporary insanity or even death by misadventure. It likely couldn’t be prevented.

But in Malaysia, an average seven persons die in road crashes on a daily basis and the real tragedy is that many of these deaths can be prevented on a systematic basis.

We have issues of potholes that cripple and kill motorcyclists. We have urban toll road construction projects like DASH that have frequent and rapidly thrown up road diversions with inadequate signage and street lighting from Kota Damansara to the North-South Highway.

And in this fractured country of ours, there is not yet a credible leader to address road safety issues for quick and longer-term gains.

For instance, do we still want to issue driving licenses with the objective of licensing as many people as pay for the licenses; or do we want to improve driving and riding skills before we license the candidates?

In that sense, we need a leader who can address the corruption that enables driving academies to proudly proclaim “Janji Pass” or “Guarantee Pass”.

Do we have such a candidate that we can support in this coming G15? - FMT