“Singapore drivers are among the worst in the world!”

"City jungle" is about daily stuff in our city that causes heavy reactions at Erich's.







This issue: Kiasu, stupid, selfish, reckless drivers
This people really annoy many of on a daily basis.I totally agree to the article in the Sunday Times on July 1.
As if they knew it that I already had a draft about this issue saved on my pc. Since we had quite a few discussions at the Wuerstelstand and many of the community were very upset about traffic respectively about drivers.
No one thought it was because of the many vehicles on the roads now a days, it was about all these Kiasu, stupid and selfish drivers. Many of us have been driving in quite a few really big Cities in the world such as New York, London, LA, you name it, where traffic jams are a daily order and you have to live with it or just “don’t drive!”
But here in Singapore it seems to be different. It’s not the heavy traffic that is irritating it’s actually the drivers that cause this situation.
This has already been mentioned and discussed in forum pages, on the Class 95 “Morning Show” by Glenn and FD and now once again in the Sunday Times. Unfortunately I don’t have any hope it will change in the near future. It’s just, people don’t get it! Full stop!

I’m not going to elaborate the situation which would end up in a never ending story. Let me just highlight the most irritating issues followed by examples:

Kiasu drivers: e.g.: you drive along a highway in heavy morning traffic and leave a gap of 1 car to the one in front of you (anyone ever learned of reaction time?). You can bet the guy behind you will get aggressive and try to overtake you just to settle in in front of you, then driving there at least until we reach the next traffic light! What’s the point for this action, what did he/she gain? The reason for me keeping distance is No 1. safety and No 2. it allows cars from side lanes or slip roads to get in.
Kiasu driving doesn’t get you far anyway!!

Selfish drivers:
You want exit a road soon. Driving in the middle lane you start indicating early enough to show your intention to change lanes. The result: some drivers on your left lane start immediately to speed not letting you turn and even keep next to you so there’s no chance for you to exit.
Result: you have to slow down and almost stop which upsets the drivers behind and causes a jam in that lane as well. Ridiculous, isn’t it.
I don’t even want to start with Taxi drivers blocking 2 lanes and zig-zacking for obviously only one reason to find out which lane could be a little faster.

But how can all this be changed? A first step would be a stricter enforcement of traffic rules. I don’t know where traffic police is hiding all day. Visit other cities and you can find police at junctions, patrolling roads, but hardly here. Get out of your camp and stop these drivers from being a hazard to other road users, simply: FINE them!!! Since money is ‘everything’ in Singapore this seems to be the only language they understand.

Drivers please bear in mind: You’re driving highly powered devices in a city now, no more water buffalo carriages or trishaws in a kampong. Wake up before more people get insured or die.

One last word: The worst comment in the ST report sadly comes out of the mouth of a driving instructor:” Living standards are high, time is very important, everybody is stressed out. How to change? “
Please can someone suspend his driving instructor license! As if only Singapore is facing this kind of problems. With this attitude how would he be able to teach his students road courtesy, tolerance and abiding the law? They will become like all the other errant drivers.
And to parents: I guess you know that most kids are imitating their parent’s behaviors! Start being their role model, not only in ‘how to make big bucks’!!! There is more in life: Live!