Most Dangerous Roads in Singapore

Introduction

Singapore has always been proclaimed as one of the safest countries in the world for drivers. Our road fatality rate of 1.92 per 100,000 citizens[1] is one of the lowest among many developed countries.

Road accidents that have led to injuries increased by 13.8% in 2022 compared to 2021. ] This increase can be attributed to the resumption of activities following the easing of safe management measures following the Covid-19 pandemic.[2]

Despite the incredibly safe Singaporean roads and driving environment, there are roads that drivers should be cautious of when entering. From road conditions to traffic density, these roads are no joke and really show why road safety is so important.

Danger ahead

The most dangerous roads in Singapore have been measured based on the number of accidents that occur on the stretch. Naturally, the longer roads will have a greater number of accidents due to their length. To make a more fair comparison, the number of accidents per km have also been taken into account. In addition, road conditions and traffic conditions and other factors that make a road dangerous have also been factored in.

Unsurprisingly, expressways make the majority of this list, due to the sheer density of traffic that passes through on a daily basis.

1. Pan-Island Expressway (PIE)

The Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) measures over 42km and stretches across the entire country of Singapore as the longest expressway on the island. It is also the oldest expressway, with work for it dating back to 1964.

The Expressway has had at least 441 accidents across the entire strip, with the heaviest concentration of accidents around the Eng Neo Avenue exit. There were 48 accidents there, evenly split in both directions. Aside from Eng Neo Avenue, other hot spots are a stretch of the PIE near Paya Lebar. Looking at the number of accidents per km, the PIE has a lower count than the CTE and SLE, at roughly10.3 accidents for every km of expressway.

As the oldest expressway in Singapore, the PIE was simply not built to handle the high volume of cars and traffic that it currently sees today. Its proximity to the airport, whilst convenient, is also a major contributing factor to the traffic density, with hundreds of cars pouring in and out on a daily basis.

The wear and tear of the expressway is also a factor that contributes to its danger. On some parts of the PIE stretch, there are undulations where the road is uneven. This obscures vision for motorists, affecting how far along the road they can see.[3]

2. Central Expressway (CTE)

The Central Expressway or CTE is the connecting stretch between the city centre of Singapore and the northern areas of the island.

The 15.8km highway began construction in 1981 and has since then faced many issues regarding traffic congestion. In 2008, major construction aiming to relieve the traffic congestion began. It involved the expansion of the expressway between Ang Mo Kio Avenues One and Three, costing over S$17 million. Flyovers and more lanes were also added to the expressway, finally finishing completion at the end of 2011.[4]

The CTE had at least 164 accidents and while this is much lower than the PIE, the number of accidents per kilometre is shockingly close. There are approximately 10.58 accidents for every kilometre of Central Expressway, which is greater than the 10.3 accidents seen on the Pan-Island Expressway.

3. Seletar Expressway (SLE)

The 10.8km Seletar Expressway, otherwise known as the SLE for short, connects the Central Expressway and Tampines Expressway.

The SLE originally started as a continuous road from the CTE and ended at Upper Thomson Road. In the late 80s the SLE was opened and replaced various roads including Lorong Handalan and Lorong Lentor.

The SLE is a six-lane dual carriageway and reported 125 accidents along the 10.8km expressway. In a similar fashion to the CTE, this number may seem small in comparison to the PIE, but per kilometre, the Seletar Expressway sees approximately 11.57 accidents per kilometre.

4. Braddell Road

Whilst there is no current data on the number of accidents on Braddell Road, this particular stretch has a reputation for being tricky to navigate and prone to accidents.

The heavy traffic and layout of the road make for dangerous navigation. The sheer amount of lane changing required on Braddell Road makes it quite easy to end up on the wrong exit.

There have also been multiple instances of unsafe driving and even fatal accidents that have occurred on the strip.

5. Thomson & Newton Road

Similarly to Braddell Road, no current data exists for the number of accidents that occur on these roads. What is known is that the intersection between Thomson and Newton road has been flagged by the LTA as a “black spot” - a part of a road that sees a large number of accidents.

Whilst both Thomson and Newton road have tricky spots to navigate, notably the Newton roundabout, this intersection in particular is an accident hotspot.

Outside the Novena MRT, what makes this intersection so dangerous is the high traffic volume, coupled with a great frequency of traffic violations. Illegal u-turns and turning in non-turning lanes are frequent occurrences on this intersection leading to a great number of accidents.

In response, the LTA have implemented two cameras to spot any violations and illegal driving.

Staying safe on these roads

Road safety is incredibly important to not just you and your passengers, but also for other motorists and pedestrians on the road. Practising safe driving may seem like a no-brainer, but basic practices like driving within the speed limit can oftentimes be overlooked and disregarded.

Understanding what makes these roads dangerous can provide an insight into how we can avoid accidents on these roads and also on how we can translate these learnings on all roads.

The accidents that occur on Singapore expressways show us that traffic dense areas are most prone to accidents. Planning routes in advance, with heavy consideration of traffic conditions will relieve any stress and need to speed to get to destinations in time. This is especially the case for motorists on the way to Changi Airport, as drivers tend to speed on their way to the airport. Listening to the live LTA traffic news updates can also provide a good indication on what the road traffic conditions are looking like in real time.

When it’s bumper to bumper and traffic is moving at snail speed, make sure you keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. Tailgating and staying at close proximity to other vehicles can be quite dangerous, especially during abrupt stops.

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