Meet the new traffic 'witness'

AH HA HA!

Watch it - because you're being watched. Not only on cameras set up by police at traffic junctions and on the streets but, increasingly, in cars.

One motorist, sales executive Goh Keng Guan, 40, has installed cameras in his and four of his family's cars.

One in 50 car insurance claims is now accompanied by video evidence, double that of a year ago, said Mr Pan Jing Long, head of general insurance at Aviva Singapore.

In the past week alone, in-car camera videos from two accidents were posted on YouTube, citizen journalism website Stomp and other forum.

Last Tuesday morning, a cabby's camera captured a 66-year-old woman, Madam Chan Ah Ying, being knocked down and killed by a bus in Sengkang while she was crossing a traffic light junction.

The following night, footage from the aftermath of an accident - a cyclist trapped under a car at Jalan Bukit Merah - was posted on YouTube.

It all started when he posted photos on Stomp of a Nissan Skyline which had knocked down a woman at Beach Road in September 2010.

The 37-year-old motorist, who wanted to be known only as JT, said: "The accident was fatal and I felt for that poor woman.

"If I had video footage, it would perhaps have helped the police to prove that the driver involved was indeed racing with another Audi car that disappeared from the scene."

He then bought an in-car video recorder for S$299 to be his "witness" on the road.

He said: "I hope that I never have to use it but these days, you can never be sure. As safe as you are as a driver, there are a lot more inconsiderate and reckless drivers out there.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
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