Kelvin ‘Safety Sam’ Tan is back with a new story on his driving experiences in the city of Singapore. This time he is back with a nice, little rant on a much-debated topic. Is driving slowly actually safer? Not according to Sam.
Friends call me ‘Safety Sam’, why? Because there are things that I do not compromise and that’s safety. I almost always buckle up regardless of distance or speed. I also really frown upon driving and talking on your mobile at the same time! Go ask any of the Formula One drivers, would they drive without restrains? Or talk on the mobile while driving?
So does that mean that I always keep to the speed limit? Well, I try… VERY HARD. I have to admit that I do sometimes (well, most of the time) feel the need for speed, I love the feel of cruising along the highway, just the feeling of freedom. I love driving and I do fly as well.
So that brings us to the topic of speeding. If I am called ‘Safety Sam’ then wouldn’t speeding destroy my image? Personally speaking I think not travelling at the right speed at the right place is down right dangerous! That’s another phenomenon that I have encountered driving in Singapore, a very frustrating one too. Drivers driving at the far right lane at a speed only my grandpa would drive! And wait for it, this is on the highway…
For those who didn’t know, Singapore was a British colony and therefore the driver’s seat is on the right hand side and we are suppose to keep left unless overtaking. But when I started driving in Singapore, I thought for a moment I was driving in Europe. The slow drivers were all keeping right! Please do not for a minute think that I am advocating that everyone should break the speed limit. I am all for keeping to the speed limit or travelling at a speed that you are comfortable with, be it fast or very slow. It is your right. But travelling at the right speed in the right place matters.
If you do really have the need to drive slowly, by all means do. But do be mindful that there are others who would prefer to be going faster and would therefore appreciate that you are keeping to the left and reserving the right lanes for overtaking. FYI, there is such a term called “undertaking” meaning to pass another vehicle from the left hand side and this is dangerous. If you are travelling slow and on the right hand lane, you are in fact putting others in danger by causing the faster vehicle to slow down suddenly or to undertake. (You could indeed end up needing an undertaker, Ed.)
On the news I have even seen drivers refusing to give way to emergency vehicles by staying on the fast lane and even slowing down on purpose. I hope they are isolated incidents but that shouldn’t not even be happening! A life is at stake and people choose to do that? Hmmm… I wonder how would the person feel if it’s his or her own mother in that emergency vehicle?
To me, driving I about having fun and of course that should be done in a safe manner. I know I’ve said this and I’ll say it again, Singapore has a fantastic road system and driving will be a “funtastic“ experience if everyone is just that little considerate of other and “situational” aware.