KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Fatal accidents from speeding and drink driving have risen sharply in the first half of 2024, with an increase in road deaths across Singapore.

Seventy-three lives were lost in road accidents from January to June 2024, up from 71 fatalities in the same period last year, Singapore’s Straits Times (ST) reported today, citing information from the city state’s traffic police.

About 40 per cent of pedestrian fatalities were those aged 65 and above.

Road fatalities caused by speeding and drink driving has also been trending upwards in the past three years; from six cases in the first half of 2022 to 25 cases in the first six months of 2024.

Similarly, fatal drink-driving accidents rose from three cases in early 2022 to nine cases this year.

In a notable case, a 35-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in prison in October 2023 after a fatal drink-driving incident that killed a Gojek driver and injured six others, ST reported.

The newspaper also reported Singapore traffic police intensifying enforcement by activating speed enforcement functions in red-light cameras and increasing penalties for traffic violations.

Since April 1, stepped-up enforcement has led to a 44.3 per cent rise in speeding violations, with 77,773 cases recorded in the first half of 2024 compared to 53,906 the previous year.

Despite an increase in drink-driving accidents from 88 to 96 cases, arrests for taking the wheel while under the influence of alcohol fell from 853 to 812.

Overall, traffic accidents resulting in injuries or deaths dropped by 1.6 per cent to 3,487 cases from January to June 2024.

Senior citizen pedestrians and motorcyclists represent a significant proportion of traffic fatalities and injuries.

In the first half of 2024, senior citizens fatalities accounted for nearly 43 per cent of all pedestrian deaths, with 41 per cent of these accidents attributed to jaywalking.

Motorcyclists and their passengers were involved in over 54 per cent of traffic accidents, making up 61.6 per cent of traffic fatalities.

The death toll for motorcyclists and pillion riders rose by over 40 per cent to 45 in the first six months of 2024.

The top causes of motorcycle accidents included failing to keep a proper lookout, losing control of the vehicle, and changing lanes without due care.

On a positive note, accidents involving red-light running went down by 23.7 per cent from 59 cases in the first half of 2023 to 45 in 2024, with motorists who run red lights also dipping.