SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (Traffic accident rate 1978-1982)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health what are the accident rates involving 3-tonners of the Singapore Armed Forces for the years 1978 to 1982, and what new measures are being taken to improve the situation.

The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, Sir, the SAF traffic accident rate has shown a continuous downtrend since 1978. Overall, in 1982 the accident rate was approximately 30% lower than in 1978. There were 2.0 accidents per 100,000 km travelled against a figure of 2.8 in 1978. For the Singaporean motorist who travels 10,000 km a year, this accident rate is equivalent to having two accidents in a period of 10 years of driving. There has also been a significant reduction in the total number of accidents - from 1,351 in 1978 to 1,054 in 1982.

The number of 3-tonners involved in accidents has also gone down significantly, from 699 in 1979 to 465 last year.

The decline in accident rate in the past years has been attributed to the sustained effort made by the SAF in improving the quality of the training for drivers and in minimizing the circumstances whereby accidents may occur.

The SAF Provost Unit also conducts intensive road-patrols and checks to ensure high driving standards.