Road traffic fatalities hit 10-year high in Singapore

Drink driving continues to be one of the TP’s priorities, even though the number of people arrested decreased from 1,788 in 2024 to 1,716 in 2025.

There were also fewer drink-driving accidents, from 166 cases in 2024 to 156 cases in 2025.

But 12 people died in such accidents in 2024 and 2025.

The TP said: “Every instance represents a deliberate choice that puts both the driver and innocent road users at grave risk. Drink-driving accidents often result in horrific and devastating consequences, with severe injuries and fatalities, consequences that could entirely have been prevented.”

As in previous years, motorcyclists and the elderly made up most of the casualties.

TP said that while motorcycles made up only about 15 per cent of Singapore’s total vehicle population in 2025, motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in 54.8 per cent of all traffic accidents and accounted for 53 per cent of deaths.

The number of accidents involving motorcyclists jumped from 3,973 cases in 2024 to 4,227 cases in 2025. The number of motorcyclist and pillion rider casualties increased from 4,510 in 2024 to 4,844 in 2025.

However, the number of fatal accidents involving motorcyclists dropped from 87 cases in 2024 to 79 cases in 2025. The number of motorcyclist and pillion rider deaths also fell from 85 in 2024 to 79 in 2025.

Accidents involving elderly pedestrians continue to be a significant concern, said the TP.

The number of traffic accidents involving these pedestrians increased from 203 cases in 2024 to 247 cases in 2025.

The 27 elderly pedestrian deaths in 2025 were among 36 pedestrian deaths in total for the year.

There were also more injured elderly pedestrians, from 193 in 2024 to 222 in 2025.

In 2025, there were 18 fatal accidents that involved jaywalking, the same as in 2024.

However, 15 cases in 2025 involved the elderly, more than double the seven cases in 2024.

Speaking at a media briefing on Feb 26, TP commander Daniel Tan said more than half of the accidents in 2025 were caused by a failure to keep a proper lookout.

Some examples he gave were a car driver turning into a road and not noticing a pedestrian; a motorcyclist riding along an expressway while looking at his phone; and a cyclist crossing the road without looking out for traffic.

Said Senior Assistant Commissioner Tan: “It doesn’t have to be a boy racer with golden hair. It doesn’t have to be a car driver with a string of antecedents and suspension records. It can be somebody with a clean record.

“Today, I want to convey this point clearly to everyone who uses the road – that an accident can happen (to anyone).”

The TP said there was a 39.1 per cent increase in the number of cellphone driving violations, from 3,014 in 2024 to 4,193 in 2025.

Some other causes of accidents were a failure to have adequate control of the vehicle and changing lanes without due care.

The TP said: “All road users must stay alert to their surroundings and never assume that other road users have seen them. This simple act of keeping a proper lookout can prevent the majority of accidents and save lives.”

To tackle rising road deaths, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the TP implemented enhanced penalties for speeding offences from Jan 1, and expanded a speed limiter regime for lorries to include those with a maximum laden weight of between 3,501kg and 5,000kg.

A speed limiter is a device that restricts vehicle engines to a maximum speed of 60kmh.

As at Feb 1, 80.1 per cent of lorries with a maximum laden weight of between 3,501kg and 5,000kg registered before Jan 1, 2018, have installed speed limiters ahead of a July 1 deadline.

Newer models of such lorries need to install the speed limiters by July 1, 2027.

The TP has also

and child restraint systems, and will operationalise the new

on March 1.

The cameras, marked with orange and white stripes, use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition to capture traffic offences, including violations of directional signs and vehicles stopping in yellow boxes.

The TP said road safety requires a culture of mutual respect and graciousness among all road users.

It added: “Simple acts of courtesy, such as maintaining a safe following distance of at least three seconds, giving way to pedestrians, reducing speed near junctions and being patient during peak hours, can create a better road culture.”