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With this sort of article coming out (unlike in 2009), prob some shit gonna happen courtesy of Gahmen. Better beware. https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/aswgqw/record_number_of_motorists_keeping_car_beyond_10/
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Irresponsible motorists to face harsher penalties, with new rules to deter dangerous, careless drivinghttps://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/irresponsible-motorists-to-face-harsher-penalties-new-dangerous-careless-driving-offences?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=STFB&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3VpsJheXc5ih8KOg79Adyvofk8g-qcHxCdZR7c80G6HdpB5EkwoDUBaZI# -
Dear Bros & Sis, Came across this infographics by ROADS.SG regarding how to claim against foreign motorist if there is an accident with them and several threads asking what to do when involved with an accident with foreign motorists. Hope this helps!!
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Campaign banners in Braddell Road (above) are put up to discourage actions such as this - a motorist using his phone while driving in Unity Street yesterday. More than 400 banners promoting responsible use of mobile phones while driving have been put up along more than 10 roads across Singapore. The number of motorists booked for using their mobile phones while driving has risen sharply. In just nine months this year, the Traffic Police issued 2,755 summonses for the offence, compared to 1,893 summons over the same period last year. There was a 61.5 per cent spike in summonses issued from July to September, from the 1,705 issued up to June."Using a mobile phone while driving affects a driver's ability to control his vehicle and to react to potential hazards on the roads. It makes the driver more vulnerable to accidents, posing a danger to himself and even other road users," a Traffic Police spokesman told the local paper. Under the Road Traffic Act, first time phone-and-drive offenders can be fined up to $1,000, or jailed for up to six months, or both, while repeat offenders will be charged with up to double the penalty. Additionally all offenders will receive 12 demerit points while their mobile phones will be seized by the Traffic Police for investigations. However, it is not an offence to use the mobile phone when the vehicle is stationary. To tackle the problem, Samsung has launched a road safety campaign from mid-October - supported by the Traffic Police. More than 400 banners have been put up along more than 10 roads in Singapore to promote responsible use of mobile phones while driving. Samsung's 'The road comes first' campaign aims to drive home key messages, like - 'Drive. Don't text' and 'Drive. Don't call'. Additionally, Samsung has launched a Facebook application, where it requests motorists to pledge not to use their mobile phones while driving. The firm is also planning to introduce an application called 'Eyes on the Road' to aid motorists turn off their mobile phones when they are behind the wheel. "This 'always-on' mentality can mean that people use their smartphones at inappropriate times, such as when driving. As the mobile industry leader, Samsung is taking the responsibility to encourage drivers to put aside their phones while driving, and focus on the roads," said Ms Irene Samsung Asia's Vice President of marketing. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/more-motorists-caught-using-mobile-phones-while-driving-20131103 -
An automated multi-storey car park at the Club Street. The struggle for parking amid a growing carpark crunch in Singapore's congested CBD means that a sizeable portion of the estimated 200,000 professionals based there choose not to drive to work. Although he owns a car, Mr Seah Chee Koon, 35, prefers to take the train from his Jurong East home to his office in the Central Business District (CBD). "I don't see the need to drive to work. It is too expensive," said Mr Seah, who works in the banking industry. He spends about 45 minutes commuting each way. The struggle for parking amid a growing carpark crunch in Singapore's congested CBD means that a sizeable portion of the estimated 200,000 professionals based there choose not to drive to work. The parking situation is likely to get worse. Going by a transport masterplan released last week, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) expects the CBD parking supply to "gradually decrease over time as older buildings make way for newer buildings". Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/cbd-parking-high-fees-and-lack-season-carpark-spaces-drive-away-many-m
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Really ........ CNA: Fewer motorists feel safe on roads in Singapore: survey SINGAPORE: Compared with three years ago, fewer motorists feel safe on the roads in Singapore, a survey of more than 450 drivers showed. In 2011, the AXA Road User Behaviour Survey found that 73 per cent of respondents perceived Singapore roads to be safe when it came to the risk of being involved in an accident. This dropped to 55 per cent this year, according to the latest survey which was released on Tuesday (June 3). The survey, commissioned by AXA Insurance Singapore in February, found that 62 per cent of the respondents felt that driving has become, on the whole, more unsafe, compared with the previous years. An “increase of aggressive drivers” was cited as the top reason. Although a majority of drivers believed the roads are unsafe, they also admitted to engaging in dangerous behaviour themselves, with 59 per cent of respondents citing “going through an amber light” as their most frequent behaviour. To promote safety awareness, the AXA Drive mobile application was launched on Tuesday and can be downloaded for free from the Apple iTunes Store and Google Play Store. It assesses one’s driving behaviour by looking into acceleration, braking and turning of the vehicle. Link: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/fewer-motorists-feel-safe/1135676.html Every countries have their own problem and city state like SG with land mass so small, chances of accident are great. Even in big country like Russia capital, Moscow, their driving are more aggressive... Aggressive drivers could be one of those drangerous drivers but 'weekends' drivers and foreign drivers also contribute to it. One just need to drive along Jalan Boon Lay in both direction can see a lot of bangala or Indian drivers speeding with their lorries on 1st lane...
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Are you one of the 55 "heroes"? More motorists have been caught speeding at a stretch of the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) that has retained its 70-kilometre per hour speed limit. Singapore SINGAPORE: More motorists have been caught speeding at a stretch of the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) that has retained its 70-kilometre per hour speed limit. The speed limit for the KPE was raised to 80 kilometres per hour on December 29 last year, except for a stretch near the Upper Paya Lebar Road north bound exit and the Airport Road south bound exit. In a written response to a Parliamentary question from MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said that last month, about 55 motorists were caught speeding daily, up from about 30 per day in October last year. Mr Baey had also asked whether there is a need to enhance the signs to remind motorists of the lower speed limit. Mr Lui said the Land Transport Authority will add two pairs of "Reduce Speed Now" signs along the stretches approaching the location. This is on top of the existing signs and road markings. - CNA/al (source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-motorists-caught/1001338.html ) -
GIA choose not to reply me despite email to them and writing to them via ST forum for response. I wonder which side they are on... Drivers think carefully your options during accidents whether at fault or not at fault...
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You know, paying careful attention for oncoming vehicles while crossing the street is actually a pretty obvious thing to do. However, it seems that there will always be some people who are just ignorant enough that they tend to jaywalk. The woman in the accompanying video is a good yet unfortunate example. You see, when you jaywalk, not only are you putting your life in danger but also that of other people's. If a vehicle happens to be approaching while you are jaywalking, the driver of the vehicle will be forced to slam the brakes all of a sudden. As a result, other vehicles behind the vehicle approaching you may happen to hit it if the drivers fail to stop their cars at the right time. With that being said, do you actually realise how dangerous you are becoming by simply crossing the street without paying attention? Well, I won't lie to you, though. Most of us probably do jaywalk every once in a while. However, after watching the video, I shall always keep in mind to refrain from doing so as I value my life. I don't know what the woman was thinking when she started walking towards the middle of the street. Nonetheless, while she was crossing it halfway, she seemed to finally realise that she shouldn't have actually started crossing in the first place as it was nearly certain she would get trapped on the centre double line. Unfortunately, she decided to take the worst option, to turn back! Let me remind you, when you cross the street, especially if you're already halfway, you'll probably be better off going forward or halt when necessary rather than turning back. Turning back is very dangerous! Moreover, the woman in the video didn't watch out for any oncoming traffic prior to turning back. Well, I'll have to be honest with you. It didn't really come as a surprise seeing the woman get hit by the scooter. The scooter rider, however, didn't seem like he was paying attention, either. Had he paid more attention on the road ahead, he should, at least, have been able to decelerate. Furthermore, jaywalkers often have erratic behaviour that they may turn back or even jump when motorists least expect it.
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Incredible. GVGT. German motorists apparently stopping their vehicles by the sides, some even out of the roads to give way to an ambulance with sirens on. Don't think we can progress till this stage. Bro Kiadaw you witnessed before? From STOMP: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...ke_way_for.html Posted on 12 Apr 2013 Would this happen here? See how German motorists make way for ambulance There's an accident on this German expressway, and an ambulance is en route to the scene. Would Singaporean motorists be this quick to give way? The video showing an ambulance responding to an accident is being circulated on Facebook. Instead of having to weave through intervening traffic however, the ambulance driver has a straight drive to the scene of the crash -- because other motorists have pulled over to give way. Even heavy vehicles have moved out of the path of the accident as best as they can, in order to allow the ambulance to pass. The video has led to people of different nationalities questioning if people in their own countries would have been as courteous as these German motorists.
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From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1236077/1/.html More motorists caught with illegal, fanciful car number plates By Hu Jielan | Posted: 08 November 2012 2058 hrs SINGAPORE: The number of drivers caught for having illegal and fanciful car licence plates has gone up. Snazzy and stylish, but many motorists who display them on their vehicles do not even know that they are illegal. Some plates have wrong fonts or improper font sizes, while others come with blue LED lights. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the monthly figures for drivers found flouting the rules have doubled in nearly two years. There were 242 cases per month in 2010 and 542 cases per month for the first eight months of this year. In 2011, the number of drivers caught for illegal licence plates was 335 per month. The LTA guidelines stipulate that approved licence plates should have letters and figures that are 70mm high, 50mm wide and 10mm broad. The penalty is a fine of up to $1,000 or a jail term of up to three months. Workshop owners told Channel NewsAsia most drivers do not know that their licence plates were not approved. Iris Seah, owner of Chuan Heng Signcrafts, said: "The most common for improper car plates are either that they are too reflective or the fonts are not approved by LTA, and the reason that they are doing this is they just want to make their car more beautiful." Francis Lim, Secretary of Singapore Motor Workshop Association, said: "I think the most common reason is everyone wants their car to look good, more on cosmetic and also it is easy to install." - CNA/de
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It is better to be driven to drink than to be driven to jail. This is one of this year's anti-drink driving messages. The annual campaign was kicked off today, with Singapore Press Holdings' ST Cars as title sponsor for the first time. The revamped portal, a buy-sell-rent platform for motorists and dealers, was launched today. At the campaign launch at Pan Pacific Hotel this evening, Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran shared that 2,141 motorists were arrested this year for drink driving between January and September this year, an increase from 2,056 in the same period last year. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between ST Cars and the Singapore Road Safety Council, for a five-year partnership. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...swaran-20121120
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In a major anti-drink driving blitz on Thursday morning, police arrested 16 motorists aged between 24 and 55. The operations saw police conduct breathalyser tests at Clemenceau Avenue, Crawford Street, Jalan Toa Payoh and Kallang Road. 14 men and two women had flunked the test, with the most egregious offender recording a test result of 54 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. Drink drivers that are convicted are disqualified from driving for at least 12 months, and will have to retake the theory and practical driving tests in order to obtain their driving licences again. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...riving-20120906
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Countdown timers for motorists too? What are your thoughts?
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CNA Motorists taking bigger loans as COE prices surge SINGAPORE: As car prices rise, motorists in Singapore are chalking up bigger debt on their motor vehicle financing, according to latest figures released by Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS). The average loan quantum in July 2011 increased by 38 per cent, compared to the same period two years ago. Motorists now take loans with an average principal amount of $85,105, compared to $61,511 two years ago, and $74,399 a year ago. Despite the heavier debt commitment, delinquency rates for motor vehicle loans are on the decline. Only 2.49 per cent of car loan holders had an instalment that was overdue by more than 30 days in July 2011, compared to 2010's figure of 2.65 per cent, indicating that consumers are managing their payments well. William Lim, Executive Director of CBS, said the figures do not come as a surprise. He said: "It is unsurprising that loan quantum has surged given that COEs premiums, and consequently car prices have soared in the last two years. At the same time, premium cars have also overtaken mass market brands in sales, and luxury and sports cars have also hit new highs." CBS' data also show that as a result of high car prices, the demand for new motor vehicle loans continue to fall. From January to July this year, consumers took up 36,911 car loans, compared to 38,913 and 43,119 in the same period in 2010 and 2009, respectively - these include loans for new and second-hand cars. The CBS study also further revealed the effects of gender and age on motor vehicle loan trends. The age group of 40-44 borrowed the highest loan quantum, which stood at $99,411 in July 2011. Conversely, those aged 21-29 borrowed the lowest loan quantum of $57,857. Senior consumers above 54 years old bore the heaviest brunt of the steep increase in loan quantum, experiencing the highest increase of 53 per cent in their principle amounts in July 2011 compared to two years ago. Consumers aged 35-39 made up 19 per cent or almost one-fifth of new car loan holders, making them the top customer segment for these loans, according to the snapshot in July 2011. Young motorists exhibit the highest delinquency rate of 3.66 per cent, while consumers above 54 years old have the lowest delinquency rate of 2.02 per cent. CBS said the trend is consistent with other loan products. Male motorists tend to take bigger loans than female motorists. They also make up 75 per cent of new loan holders, outnumbering female loan holders by three to one. Lui Su Kian, Head of Deposits and Secured Lending, DBS Bank, said: "The average loan amount for car loans with DBS have increased by more than 10 per cent year-on-year. However, affordability remains healthy as customers seeking maximum financing have remained stable. "As we see more wealth being created in Asia, we have also observed that the financing of cars priced at more than $200,000 have doubled compared to 2010." CBS said it will continue to monitor the delinquency rate for motor vehicle loans, encouraging motorists to assess the affordability of their car loan carefully and practise responsible borrowing. - CNA /ls
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Can be frustrating searching for empty lots especially at those popular coupon-parking car parks near schools or shopping centres with many such "parked" vehicles From ST Forum: 'Cheapskate' motorists hog parking space without paying Published on Nov 17, 2011 THE public carpark behind Far East Shopping Centre is popular because it provides cheaper parking for the Orchard Road area. Unfortunately, there are motorists who exploit this by waiting for their friends or family members in their cars, without displaying carpark coupons. I had an unpleasant experience there on Monday about 11.30am while trying to find a parking space. The driver of a Mercedes-Benz was reading newspapers at the wheel, without coupons being displayed on the dashboard. I approached her to check if she intended to park her car. She said she was waiting for her daughter but did not intend to use a parking coupon. That driver was not alone. Other motorists were also occupying parking spaces without paying for them. The carpark was full and there were many motorists queuing for parking spaces. How does the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) deal with such motorists who prevent others from legitimate use of parking spaces? Jeyarani Anita Henry (Ms)
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The word "surveillance" gives folks the impression that it is being watched which may not be Anyway, our MCFer bro Adrian's experience has already clearly shown sometimes even with all the evidence including video footage of the perpertrator in action given, sadly nothing will be done except a warning letter issued... From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Online...ory_733601.html Motorists taken for a ride on carpark security? Published on Nov 14, 2011 WHEN my car was vandalised at a multi-storey carpark, after the culprit tried to open it with a crowbar, I noticed that a sign at the carpark stated that it was under surveillance, so I assumed it was monitored by closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras. When I checked with the HDB, I was told that it was not under its jurisdiction and directed me to the town council. When I telephoned the Tanjong Pagar Town Council, I was told that the carpark, in Block 10 Holland Drive, did not, in fact, have CCTV camera surveillance. Whichever authority is in charge of the carpark should not have given motorists a false sense of security. Elisabeth Raman Verlinde (Mrs)
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Very well written by Christopher Tan, enjoy reading reading..... http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/Owner...405-208579.html Point. 1 "In the early noughties, the number of COEs released had always been far fewer than actual deregistrations. Then in the last five years, we witnessed an oversupply that caused car premiums to crash." Point 2. "This effect was in play between 1990 and 1999, when the supply formula was based on past deregistrations." Point 3 "In the case of the maiden quota of the new formula, the supply will also be abnormally low because it is based on deregistrations in 2009, a recessionary year which saw the number of cars scrapped or re-exported falling to the lowest level in 10 years."
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Warning: This article is intentionally biased and opinionated. If you are too uptight to see the lighter side of things, please click the back button on your browser and select another post to read. I am sure that there are many things that irritate, frustrate and tick us off when we drive on Singapore roads. Here is the top 5 list of motoring related things that get me just that little bit hot under the collar. 5. Leeches Largely harmless but very irritating, leeches are non-drivers who believe that drivers owe them a duty to send them home. Now, this does not include close friends or family members, just those acquaintances who insist on hitching a ride even when it is out of the way. Now, I bought my car so I can save on traveling time. A MRT ride home takes 45mins from town, a drive takes 25mins. What appears as a slight 10min detour actually significantly erodes into the purpose of buying a car. Leeches fail to understand that sending them home is a FAVOUR not a DUTY. Sending them home means I am a nice guy. Not sending them is hardly selfish. 4. Road Hoggers Do I really need to say more about this unique breed of motorist? This motorist lives in a world of his own and is oblivious to others around him. Crawling comfortably at his own pace along the fast lane of the expressway and ignoring the tailback of vehicles behind him. Sometimes I really wonder, do they have impenetrably thick skin? How can someone be so unabashedly inconsiderate? Do they feel no shame, holding everyone else back, slowing everyone down? It is hardly surprising that road hoggers deserve a spot on my list. 3. Poor Carpark Design Another major irritant. Now, this is not because I am a kayu driver who has a problem navigating poorly designed carparks. This irritates me because designing a good carpark is not rocket science. You don't need any special skill or talent. You just need to use your brain and think about it. I often get the feeling that if the designer or architect had bothered to even think it through just that little bit more, the carpark would definitely have been much better. Instead, the carpark often seems to be an afterthought, designed by some unpaid intern. Anyone working as an architect or developer care to tell me why? 2. Congestion/Bad Traffic Bad traffic. I am sure this is a common peeve among motorists everywhere. No amount of ERP or measures by the government seem to help. There seems to be congestion at all sorts of places, occurring for a multitude of reasons. Being stuck in a jam is definitely no fun, making this common gripe number 2 on my list. 1. 'Kiasee' Motorists This type of motorist errs on the side of caution just that little bit too much. He jams on the brakes the moment the car in front so much as taps on the brakes. He insists on leaving more than the required safe distance between vehicles. He slows to a crawl before taking a slight bend or taps on his brakes repeatedly while making a turn. To be safe, when approaching a fixed position speed camera, this motorist slows to way below the mandatory speed limit. Being stuck behind one of these motorists, especially during traffic congestion, is pure torture. Agree, disagree or have your own pet peeves to share? Do drop a note in the comments section.
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http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.p...th-unpaid-fines -
100 motorists tyre puntures on NSE - Bolehland!
Highwaycode posted a topic in General Car Discussion
100 motorists suffer tyre punctures on NSE BOLEHLAND - anything pun boleh!!! Fri, Jul 03, 2009 The Star/Asia News Network MALAYSIA - NAILS scattered along the Tapah-Ipoh stretch of the North-South Expressway caused tyre punctures for more than 100 motorists, including a deputy minister, on Wednesday. The nails are believed to have fallen off a lorry during transport. Nanyang Siang Pau said some car owners had to replace two or three punctured tyres in the 7pm incident. "These drivers only had one spare tyre so most of them had to repair their tyres or replace them with new ones at workshops in Gopeng, Simpang Pulai and Ipoh," it said. The daily reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong, who was on his way from Kuala Lumpur to attend an MCA function in Ipoh, was one of the victims. Workers from PLUS Expressways Bhd have since cleaned up the stretch and removed the remaining nails. 2009/07/02 Robbers slash cop, 2 others - Email to friend Print article PETALING JAYA: Three people, including an off-duty policeman, were seriously injured when an attempted robbery went awry at Sunway Mentari flats here on Wednesday night. They were stabbed and slashed by four robbers armed with parang in the 11.30pm incident. The episode began when three of the robbers confronted a man and his wife as they were walking towards their car. One of the robbers slashed the man but the woman's screams alerted several people who rushed to the couple's aid. The crowd managed to catch one of the robbers but the other two escaped. Just then, constable Omar Osman, 22, who was driving home from the Klang police headquarters, happened to be on the scene and stopped to investigate. When the crowd explained what had happened, Omar took the robber into custody. At this point, the two robbers who had escaped returned with another accomplice and attacked Omar in a bid to rescue their friend. Apart from Omar, another person was also slashed. The robbers fled in a car. The three injured were sent to hospital, where their conditions are described to be serious but stable. District police chef Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamad appealed to the public to assist in investigations. -
Below article from Channelnewsasia affrims the prevaling Die Hard Habits of motorists on our roads to date. I think driving licenses are too easily acuired these days as compared to the past, and possibly bad influences from the internet as well as movies depicting glamorous driving stunts like Drifting etc. What should be done to curb such dangerous and inconsiderate driving habits? >> Higher penalties? >> Revocation of License? >> Re-education? >> Revise the Qualifying Factors in Attaining a License? ================================================ Driving over speed limit, beating amber lights top dangerous driving habits By Zhang Tingjun, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 June 2009 1836 hrs SINGAPORE : A nationwide road safety survey has revealed that Singapore drivers are less inclined to signal when switching lanes or overtaking, but are more careful when it comes to drinking and driving than European motorists. The month-long survey by AXA Insurance was conducted with more than 500 Singapore drivers, made up of private car owners and taxi drivers. The survey showed that 60 per cent admitted to committing at least one dangerous driving practice. Driving at more than 10 kilometres per hour over the speed limit and beating an amber light topped the list. Drivers were more prudent, however, when it came to drink driving, with 24 per cent saying they do not drink at all before taking the wheel. When asked what would deter them from dangerous driving practices, the top three reasons cited pertained to law enforcement. Personal safety came in fourth, and the safety of others fifth. Another notable finding was that the only dangerous driving behaviour that women are more likely to engage in than men is answering the phone without a hands-free kit or text messaging while driving. Drivers who were married with young children were also found to be more likely to engage in unsafe driving practices compared to those married with older children. Younger motorists between 18 and 34 years of age were also found to be less likely to perceive a breach of safety rules as dangerous driving compared to motorists aged 35 and above. According to AXA, the most surprising finding, however, was that over 75% of those surveyed gave the wrong answer to the question "What is the speed limit on normal roads?" Some did not know, whereas others guessed 60, 50 or 30 kilometres per hour. The correct answer is 50 kilometres per hour. AXA said that going over the speed limit is not only dangerous, it can also be costly when it comes to filing claims. Henri Gurs, CEO, AXA Insurance Singapore, said: "Between an accident at 50 km/h or an accident at 70 km/h, the damages will be more than doubled." According to AXA, accident claims have risen from 13 to 16 per cent over the past four years. - CNA/ms
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This guy pointed middle finger at me last9. Ok fine I know I'm slightly in the wrong by slow going at 60km/h at Defu Lane there, but also don't have to horn horn me and zoom past me horn me again and point middle finger. So ungentleman. Dunno whether he comes this forum
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More motorists hang on to their cars In an uncertain economy, less mileage means less wearing out of the machines and therefore, a decline in deregistration. -SUT Tan Dawn Wei Tue, Sep 23, 2008 The Sunday Times Uncertain economy, high fuel prices and poor resale market preventing many from going for new ones . Assistant engineer Horace Soh has been thinking about selling his Nissan Sunny lately. After all, he has had the car for five years and that is when owners here usually upgrade, downgrade or sell their wheels. But with an uncertain economy, high petrol prices and little prospect of fetching a good resale price, the 37-year-old father of two is keeping his car for now. "Job security is one thing to consider. And when you get a new car, it's a new liability as you'll have to stick with it for another three to five years. How will you get rid of it if the economy takes a turn for the worse?" he said. Singapore's car population has been on the up and up. There were 539,540 passenger cars at the end of July, 8.1 per cent more than at the same time last year. But it is not because more people are turning up at showrooms. Rather, fewer cars are being taken off the roads. This year's certificate of entitlement (COE) supply provides for 6,388 cars to be scrapped or re-exported a month. But between January and July, an average of only 5,190 cars were deregistered each month - 12 per cent fewer than the same period last year. Mr Tony Tan, marketing director at Borneo Motors which sells Toyota cars, said an uncertain economy, inflation and the higher cost of driving contribute to people driving less or keeping their cars longer. "If people use less, they don't see much wear and tear and the mileage is lower. This will cause deregistration to decline and we can expect this for a while," he said. Sales of new cars have also dropped: 58,777 were registered in the first seven months of this year, down from 65,973 during the same period last year. "The psychological position of the consumers is, better hold on to the old car and save for a rainy day," said Mr Jacky Wong, director of Richburg Motors. He has changed tack to promote hybrid cars that are less fuel-thirsty. Another reason is that there is little overseas demand for local cars as the Singapore dollar is stronger than many other currencies. Cars are usually bound for Russia, Africa and Caribbean countries. Hefty loans - up to 10 years - have also been a disincentive for drivers to switch cars. They have to fork out a sizeable lump sum in cash to redeem existing loans. Despite more people retaining their old cars, motor workshops have not seen more business. Workshop owner Eric Tan said he receives fewer orders now at his Bukit Merah garage from car dealers to touch up used models for overseas markets. He used to get eight to 10 such cars per month but has worked on only two in the past three months. "There are many workshops and it's very competitive," he said. The Government is hoping that its new policy - which kicked in on Sept 1 - of returning cash instead of handing out a paper rebate to offset taxes on a new car will encourage motorists to scrap or export their cars and switch to public transport. But those in the industry doubt it will lure many to give up their wheels for cash. "Cars are still very aspirational purchases. Owners are not likely to suddenly decide - in huge numbers - that they don't want to drive anymore, unless the economy takes a dive or if fuel prices skyrocket," said Borneo Motors' Mr Tan. Mr Wong feels the move may nudge some people to scrap their cars, but not necessarily discourage them from buying another. "You want to spend the cash and the most immediate desire is to buy a better car," he said.
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STOMPer Peter sent in a video to show how old tyres, which are kept in storage and unused for many years, may blow up and endanger lives of drivers and other motorists. He says: "I would like to share it with our fellow Singaporeans to equip them with some knowledge on what to look out for when they are buying a set of new tires for their cars." http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singapor...t.jsp?id=33132# Beware Tyre Shop
