Road deaths in one of Asia's safest cities hit 10-year high

The figures, from the Singapore Police Force's annual road traffic report released Feb. 26, showed casualties climbing for the fifth straight year despite new camera technology, stiffer penalties and expanded vehicle speed restrictions.

Singapore has long had one of the lowest road fatality rates in Asia. Its rate of 1.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021 was roughly eight times lower than the Asia-Pacific average of 15.2, according to a road safety profile published by the Asian Transport Observatory.

However, total fatalities rose from 142 in 2024 to 149 in 2025, surpassing the previous decade-high of 141 set in 2016. Injuries climbed 6.6% to 9,955, and fatal accidents increased from 139 to 147.

The sharpest spike was among elderly pedestrians. Twenty-seven seniors, all pedestrians, died on Singapore's roads in 2025, up from 11 the year before, a 145.5% increase.

The elderly make up 12.9% of Singapore's population but accounted for 75% of all pedestrian fatalities, according to the report.

Of 18 fatal jaywalking accidents in 2025, 15 involved elderly pedestrians, more than double the seven cases in 2024. Seniors accounted for 83.3% of all jaywalking fatalities.

"We are saddened to learn that the number of elderly pedestrian fatalities has increased," Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, said at the briefing, as reported by Mothership. "Each life lost on a road is one too many, and behind every statistic is a family deeply affected."

Traffic Police commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Daniel Tan, speaking at the same briefing, said more than half of all accidents in 2025 were caused by a single factor: failure to keep a proper lookout.

"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," Tan told reporters, as cited by The Straits Times. "Today, I want to convey this point clearly to everyone who uses the road, that an accident can happen (to anyone)."

Cellphone-related driving violations surged 39.1% to 4,193 cases, the report showed. Motorcyclists, who make up just 15% of Singapore's vehicle population, accounted for 54.8% of all traffic accidents and 53% of fatalities.

Speeding violations jumped 25.9% to 253,550 cases, equivalent to roughly 695 motorists caught daily. While speeding-related fatal accidents dipped from 46 to 41, red-light running accidents surged 27.1% to 122, resulting in seven deaths. Drink-driving accidents fell from 166 to 156, but the number of fatal drink-driving accidents held steady at 12 in both years.

"Every instance represents a deliberate choice that puts both the driver and innocent road users at grave risk," the police force said in the report.

Singapore has responded with a broad enforcement push, including enhanced speeding penalties from Jan. 1, an expanded speed limiter regime for lorries and raised safety standards for motorcycle helmets and child restraint systems.

New Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras, marked with distinctive orange and white stripes, went live March 1 after a successful trial that detected more than 6,000 offenses across 11 locations in September alone, according to an SPF media briefing in October. The cameras use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition to capture offenses including crossing double white lines, red-light running, stopping in yellow boxes and riding on footways.

But authorities acknowledged that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.

"Road safety requires a culture of mutual respect and graciousness among all road users," the police force said. "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."

Separately, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann said during parliamentary debate on the ministry's budget that Singapore will lower its drink-driving limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of breath to 15 micrograms, bringing it in line with Japan and Taiwan. The current limit has been unchanged since 1985.

"There is no reason why we cannot aspire to zero road fatalities here in Singapore," Sim told parliament, as reported by The Straits Times, citing Helsinki's achievement of zero road deaths during a one-year period from July 2024 to July 2025. "But it requires collective recognition that our road culture needs to change."