Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Dangerous Junctions

Maps from Google Street View

This junction at Tiong Bahru Road and Zion Road is one of the 3 junctions in Tiong Bahru that is very accident prone.

Just this morning, an Olive Green Honda CRV almost crashed into a taxi. 

The CRV was at where the truck is and the taxi was at when the silver van was.

The CRV tried turning left from the right most lane while the taxi was going straight into Outram Road from the left most lane.

Everyday, this scene is repeated many times at this junction.

Some motorist will carefully edge into the left lane before turning into Zion road while some do so recklessly and with no regards to other road users. 

I'm always on full alert when I'm approaching this junction.

The other accident prone junction is the one at Outram and Seng Poh Road, just after the shell station and before Cape Inn hotel.



Motorists who are driving into Seng Poh Road must STOP and give way to the approaching traffic from Tiong Bahru Road.

Sometime, the opposite happens.

The motorist from Tiong Bahru Road will stop suddenly to give way to those who are coming in from Outram while those from Outram do not even bother to stop at the stop line.

I think the authorities must put a STOP SIGN THAT FLASHES to remind those from Outram to stop and GIVE WAY!

Once, I had a near miss accident here when a black Lexus zoom past me even though all vehicles had stopped for me to drive pass.

The following motorist wasn't that lucky



The third one is not as dangerous as the other two since vehicles do not travel at high speed here.

This is the one where Seng Poh Road, Lim Liak Street and Eng Hoon Street intersect.


If you know your high way code well, you will know that motorists who are coming into Seng Poh Road from Tiong Bahru Road or Zion Road will have the right of way at all times.


And since there are STOP LINES on Eng Hoon Street and Seng Poh Road, those vehicles has to stop and give way to traffic.


And since we go by GIVE WAY to the person on the RIGHT, the ones waiting at Seng Poh Road, along Tiong Bahru Market, must wait for everyone to go before moving on.

But many a times, I have to give way to people that are coming out from this lane and they gave me those dirty look like I'm some ugly Singaporean who doesn't want to give way.


Anyway, I can deal with this problematic junction as it is a matter of being patient and forgiving.

But I really cannot accept the traffic violations at the other two junctions as someone else's mistake could be fatal for another and it is not fair to expect the innocent party to pay with their money, limbs or life.

3 comments:

professor said...

There was a fatal accident in the 1960s at the spot on OUtram Road coming into Tiong bahru Road (just before the overhead bridge). Now that block is a hotel. Lorry ran over a man and his head sevred from his torso. I saw it.

Nowdays, Singaporenas bo-chap attitude, so I also got to learn defensive driving.

Unknown said...

I think the 2nd one u mentioned (near Shell station) is seriously dangerous.

Everytime i pass there to Outram, i count myself lucky.

SGalf said...

professor : that's sounded gory and morbid. If I see such an accident, I will have a lot of problem erasing it from memory.

choonkeat : everyone seems to agree that the 2nd junction is super dangerous. Let me see if I can write to the traffic police or LTA to see how they can make it safer for everyone. No point waiting for a "THOMSON RD" accident to happen before some actions are taken.