564 tickets issued for 'failure to signal' in first six months of 2014

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://transport.asiaone.com/news/general/story/social-norms-blamed-lack-road-courtesy-here

Drivers turning or changing lanes without signalling their intention to do so are a norm, but according to traffic rules, the failure to signal is an offence.

The Traffic Police said 564 writs of summons were issued for this offence in the first six months of this year - the highest in three years.

The penalty, according to the Traffic Police, is $70 for light vehicles and $100 for heavy ones.

But many motorists told The Straits Times that they did not know they could be fined for turning without signalling.

Like turning without signalling, other practices that irk motorists make up a small percentage of total traffic infringements.

These include driving without lights and road hogging - defined as the obstruction of traffic moving at faster speeds.

The Traffic Police said 603 writs of summons were issued for road hogging in the first half of this year, and 72 for driving without headlights on between 7pm and 7am. They attract fines of $70 and $30 respectively.

Another little-known offence is failing to be in the correct lane before making a turn at a junction.

For instance, a driver wants to turn right, but remains on a non-turning lane and causes obstruction to other motorists who want to go straight.

The penalty for this is $130 and four demerit points for light vehicles, and $160 and four demerit points for heavy vehicles.

Gopinath Menon, vice-chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, attributes the "general lack of road courtesy" to "everyday pressures".

"Everybody is in a hurry," he observed.