Road Courtesy in Singapore: A Campaign by DirectAsia
The honk-happy honker. The tail-gating tormentor. The late signalling so-and-so. Most Singaporean drivers have come across these characters on our roads at some point, and all would probably agree that such behaviour doesn’t make for a very pleasant driving environment.
That’s why DirectAsia.com created last year’s Road Courtesy Campaign.
In conjunction with Singapore Road Safety Council, Singapore Police Force and Traffic Police Singapore, we hoped to highlight the kinds of behaviour that drives motorists crazy. Using our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SgRoads, we connected with the drivers of Singapore – and they were only too happy to tell us their views on road courtesy – and post a few pictures of life on the road, too.
Not only did they get to reveal what makes them blow a gasket when travelling on the road, they also stood to win one of forty S$80 prizes for the top gripes – and a superb S$500 for the most illuminating road rant. The S$500 winner was youngster Patrick Lim, who told us: “it annoys me when motorists honk and behave brutally over small road incidents.” Well said, Mr. Lim!
The 2012 campaign centred on the words: ‘space', 'respect', 'patience', 'foresight' and 'considerate’. And from the rants we received on our Facebook page, these were indeed the issues that annoyed Singapore’s drivers the most.
From road hogs to late signallers, from tailgaters to super-honkers – there were plenty of gripes that got a good airing.
More Courteous?
So have we become more courteous drivers? Have we made any progress in creating a more pleasant island to drive in? Are you ready for one more rant? Or are you overcome with the courtesy of Singapore’s drivers? Feel free to tell us what you think in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you!
