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Expat: Nothing but praise for S'porean drivers, roads
By LIAM O'BRIEN
Driving in Singapore has been a much more positive experience than the one I had been led to expect by other expats.
Prior to buying my first car, I was told by my condo neighbours to anticipate the worst of Singapore drivers. Watch out for this...beware of that...and don't forget to...was the line of their cautionary advice.
It was consequently with some apprehension that I first sat behind the wheel some 20 months ago.
I have to say, though, that after putting more than 30,000km on my car's odometer travelling the length and breadth of the Lion City, I have almost nothing but good things to say about the local driving experience.
The 'Have a safe and pleasant drive' message that is flashed on illuminated roadside signs here really hits the nail on the head for me.
There aren't many metropolitan areas in the developed world where driving is still a fairly non-stressful experience, but Singapore is certainly one of them. London - where I was based prior to moving here - is most definitely not, and neither are most of the capitals of Europe.
I think the key is that motorists here tend to be less stressed out and not in so much of a hurry to get from A to B. The roads may be overcrowded but because the majority of drivers are reasonably relaxed, the experience is still mostly pleasant.
I know many Singaporean readers will find this claim incredible and wonder exactly what roads I have been driving on while here. To them, all I can say is that everything in life is relative and, relatively speaking, driving in Singapore is, for me, much less stressful than in London or any other big European or North American city.
Drivers here do not seem to speed excessively and, when I am motoring along the main highways, most appear to stick to the 90kmh speed limit.
Doing 100kmh on the East Coast Parkway to Changi makes me feel like I am zipping along but, in reality, and in terms of miles per hour (the measure that I am used to), I am doing a sensible 62mph.
Such an approach to speed gives me scope to enjoy the drive.
The time-poor mindset that has taken over back home means there is little opportunity to take in the sights or appreciate the motoring experience per se. You are too busy concentrating on driving safely at speed, while avoiding getting a ticket from the numerous yellow speed cameras that have taken over the roadside verges.
After years of driving in London, I am in the habit of positioning myself two feet or so from the rear bumper of the car in front when stopped at lights, which is about the norm for much of big city Europe. Here, I have noticed a far more civilised four foot-plus prevails.
Then, when the lights turn green, there is not the manic hustle to get away that I am used to. Motorists can take a little bit more time to put the gearshift into drive and do not seem mortified if they are caught napping, as it were, and fail to notice immediately that the lights have changed.
In Europe, and particularly in the Latin countries, such driving would be greeted by an immediate chorus of impatient horns.
Which brings me to Singaporeans' rare use of the car horn - and the emergency services siren - which is a really good thing from the perspective of urban peace and quiet.
Back home, the horn is also rare - but not the siren - and when used, is taken as something of a rebuke to the motorist on the receiving end. This means that being tooted at can be taken the wrong way.
Some even react as if the use of the horn is a hostile act. They hoot back and the situation can get a bit out of hand. Road rage is an issue in other countries but not, to my knowledge, here.
I have to admit that there are some downsides to driving here that take a little bit of getting used to.
Cyclists riding against the traffic - even at night with their lights off - are a bit of a shocker for me. Back home, they would either end up dead or stopped by the police. What is it with them? Do they belong to a local kamikaze cycling club or something?
And I really can't quite wrap my head around why drivers don't give way to ambulances when they are flashing their lights and obviously responding to an emergency call. Ambulances on call just sit there in traffic hold-ups, lights flashing but unable to move. Why don't motorists move over to let them through?
But despite such debit points, the overall balance sheet is positive and the experience is better than it is in most other big cities - despite what you might think.
The writer, who is English, is a Straits Times copy editor. He has lived in Singapore for 20 months with his wife and their three-year-old child, Alex.
By LIAM O'BRIEN
Driving in Singapore has been a much more positive experience than the one I had been led to expect by other expats.
Prior to buying my first car, I was told by my condo neighbours to anticipate the worst of Singapore drivers. Watch out for this...beware of that...and don't forget to...was the line of their cautionary advice.
It was consequently with some apprehension that I first sat behind the wheel some 20 months ago.
I have to say, though, that after putting more than 30,000km on my car's odometer travelling the length and breadth of the Lion City, I have almost nothing but good things to say about the local driving experience.
The 'Have a safe and pleasant drive' message that is flashed on illuminated roadside signs here really hits the nail on the head for me.
There aren't many metropolitan areas in the developed world where driving is still a fairly non-stressful experience, but Singapore is certainly one of them. London - where I was based prior to moving here - is most definitely not, and neither are most of the capitals of Europe.
I think the key is that motorists here tend to be less stressed out and not in so much of a hurry to get from A to B. The roads may be overcrowded but because the majority of drivers are reasonably relaxed, the experience is still mostly pleasant.
I know many Singaporean readers will find this claim incredible and wonder exactly what roads I have been driving on while here. To them, all I can say is that everything in life is relative and, relatively speaking, driving in Singapore is, for me, much less stressful than in London or any other big European or North American city.
Drivers here do not seem to speed excessively and, when I am motoring along the main highways, most appear to stick to the 90kmh speed limit.
Doing 100kmh on the East Coast Parkway to Changi makes me feel like I am zipping along but, in reality, and in terms of miles per hour (the measure that I am used to), I am doing a sensible 62mph.
Such an approach to speed gives me scope to enjoy the drive.
The time-poor mindset that has taken over back home means there is little opportunity to take in the sights or appreciate the motoring experience per se. You are too busy concentrating on driving safely at speed, while avoiding getting a ticket from the numerous yellow speed cameras that have taken over the roadside verges.
After years of driving in London, I am in the habit of positioning myself two feet or so from the rear bumper of the car in front when stopped at lights, which is about the norm for much of big city Europe. Here, I have noticed a far more civilised four foot-plus prevails.
Then, when the lights turn green, there is not the manic hustle to get away that I am used to. Motorists can take a little bit more time to put the gearshift into drive and do not seem mortified if they are caught napping, as it were, and fail to notice immediately that the lights have changed.
In Europe, and particularly in the Latin countries, such driving would be greeted by an immediate chorus of impatient horns.
Which brings me to Singaporeans' rare use of the car horn - and the emergency services siren - which is a really good thing from the perspective of urban peace and quiet.
Back home, the horn is also rare - but not the siren - and when used, is taken as something of a rebuke to the motorist on the receiving end. This means that being tooted at can be taken the wrong way.
Some even react as if the use of the horn is a hostile act. They hoot back and the situation can get a bit out of hand. Road rage is an issue in other countries but not, to my knowledge, here.
I have to admit that there are some downsides to driving here that take a little bit of getting used to.
Cyclists riding against the traffic - even at night with their lights off - are a bit of a shocker for me. Back home, they would either end up dead or stopped by the police. What is it with them? Do they belong to a local kamikaze cycling club or something?
And I really can't quite wrap my head around why drivers don't give way to ambulances when they are flashing their lights and obviously responding to an emergency call. Ambulances on call just sit there in traffic hold-ups, lights flashing but unable to move. Why don't motorists move over to let them through?
But despite such debit points, the overall balance sheet is positive and the experience is better than it is in most other big cities - despite what you might think.
The writer, who is English, is a Straits Times copy editor. He has lived in Singapore for 20 months with his wife and their three-year-old child, Alex.
