‘Choose graciousness’ campaign launched for road safety in Singapore

To make people more aware about road safety, a unique campaign christened ‘Choose Graciousness’ was launched in Singapore today. In this campaign, the target groups of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists are being urged to be more gracious.

cyclists should take greater care when sharing paths with pedestrians
Cyclists have been advised to take greater care when sharing paths with pedestrians. Photo courtesy: singapore kindness

Launching the campaign at Our Tampines Hub mega-complex, Amrin Amin, Parliamentary Secretary (Home Affairs), said, “It's up to us to consciously and actively try to be gracious to others as well. Kindness begets kindness, and we can start a virtuous cycle in which we become more gracious and safer on our roads." 

Giving advice to different types of road users, he said, “Pedestrians could pay greater attention to traffic conditions, instead of fiddling away on their mobile devices when crossing the road, while motorists could be patient when elderly pedestrians take a longer time to cross the roads, and be more mindful of cyclists.”

He also added that cyclists should take greater care when sharing paths with pedestrians.

Sam Tee, Traffic Police commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner, observed, “We’re not giving way enough on the road and we’re not gracious enough.”

Mid-block bicycle crossings separates pedestrians and cyclists at road crossings, allowing cyclists to ride safely across roads without the need to dismount.
Mid-block bicycle crossings separates pedestrians and cyclists at road crossings, allowing cyclists to ride safely across roads without the need to dismount. Photo courtesy: lta.gov.sg

The awareness campaign will feature a series of road safety videos that will be published on social media platforms, such as YouTube. Banners will also be installed on lampposts across the country. 

The number of fatalities on the roads have decreased considerably over the years and was at its lowest since the 1980s. The number of fatalities was 141 last year compared to 168 in 2012.