Some road bully cases come to dead end
No police, court action if case is deemed minor and there's no evidence
By Kimberly Spykerman
THEY tailgate, swerve into other drivers' lanes, shout abuse and make vulgar gestures. But if you are on the receiving end of abuse from one of these road bullies, the chances of him ending up in court are slim, unless you have strong evidence.
Over the past five years, police have investigated an average of almost 80 people each year for bullying other drivers on the road. These cases involve voluntarily causing hurt, reckless driving and criminal intimidation.
But there are many other incidents which the police will not get involved in, mostly because they are less severe. This has left some victims frustrated.
Manager Ee Chai Pau, 43, was about to exit the Tampines Expressway in August when a car sped up from behind and cut in front of him.
He was forced to swerve to avoid it. When he honked to show his displeasure, the other driver flashed him a vulgar gesture. 'I was shocked. What he did was not only dangerous driving, but could also have caused me to be injured,' he said.
Mr Ee then filed a police report and submitted video footage - captured using an anti-theft camera mounted on his dashboard - of the man flashing him the middle finger. A few weeks later, he received a letter from the police, saying they were unable to take further action.
When he contacted them, he said, they told him that there was insufficient evidence of road bullying.
'I was very disappointed. I thought this driver should have at least been given a warning to make sure he didn't continue behaving like that,' said Mr Ee, who first recounted the incident in a letter to The Straits Times Forum page last month.
A police spokesman explained that road bullying can take many forms, and ranges from causing physical hurt to verbal exchanges. 'Police will have to assess the nature of each case and take action accordingly,' he said.
Many cases of road bullying which have resulted in convictions have involved causing hurt. In April, IT manager Tan Eng Heong, 47, was jailed for six months for breaking another driver's arm with a wooden pole.
But where a case involves verbal insults or mischief, the police are likely to advise the motorist to file a magistrate's complaint, which costs $1. If he chooses to do so, he will write a report about the incident and file it with the court. A magistrate will then decide how serious the offence is.
The magistrate can then, among other things, direct the police to investigate further or refer the case for mediation. He can also throw out the complaint if he rules that there is no evidence of a criminal offence or it does not merit further attention.
Last year, the police investigated 76 cases of road bullying involving some level of physical assault, a slight drop from the 82 in 2008 and 94 in 2007. In 2005 and 2006, the figures were 69 and 76 respectively.
Lawyers said that in many minor cases of road bullying, it is often difficult to prove who the aggressor is. Said criminal lawyer Sunil Sudheesan: 'There are just too many cases of a minor nature for the police to investigate all of them.'
Some victims also choose not to take the matter further as filing a magistrate's complaint can end up being a tedious and costly process, especially if the accuser has to foot the bill for a lawyer if it goes to trial. Said criminal lawyer Chia Boon Teck: 'It's just not worth it. If it's minor, like a verbal insult, you should just live and let live.'
He added that if a person is charged in court following a magistrate's complaint, it is likely to be under the Miscellaneous Offences Act for intentional harassment, alarm or distress, which carries a fine.
With the number of cars on Singapore's roads at a high, there is always the risk that road bullying will increase.
Said Mr Michael Wong, vice-president of the Motor Traders Association: 'The sensible thing to do is to always keep your cool and keep your distance.'
Mr Gerard Ee, former president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, urged motorists not to go to the police unless the bully endangers the lives of others around him. And if they want to pursue the matter, they should have a video recording to strengthen the case.
'The police can act only if you give them proper evidence,' he added.
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No police, court action if case is deemed minor and there's no evidence
By Kimberly Spykerman
THEY tailgate, swerve into other drivers' lanes, shout abuse and make vulgar gestures. But if you are on the receiving end of abuse from one of these road bullies, the chances of him ending up in court are slim, unless you have strong evidence.
Over the past five years, police have investigated an average of almost 80 people each year for bullying other drivers on the road. These cases involve voluntarily causing hurt, reckless driving and criminal intimidation.
But there are many other incidents which the police will not get involved in, mostly because they are less severe. This has left some victims frustrated.
Manager Ee Chai Pau, 43, was about to exit the Tampines Expressway in August when a car sped up from behind and cut in front of him.
He was forced to swerve to avoid it. When he honked to show his displeasure, the other driver flashed him a vulgar gesture. 'I was shocked. What he did was not only dangerous driving, but could also have caused me to be injured,' he said.
Mr Ee then filed a police report and submitted video footage - captured using an anti-theft camera mounted on his dashboard - of the man flashing him the middle finger. A few weeks later, he received a letter from the police, saying they were unable to take further action.
When he contacted them, he said, they told him that there was insufficient evidence of road bullying.
'I was very disappointed. I thought this driver should have at least been given a warning to make sure he didn't continue behaving like that,' said Mr Ee, who first recounted the incident in a letter to The Straits Times Forum page last month.
A police spokesman explained that road bullying can take many forms, and ranges from causing physical hurt to verbal exchanges. 'Police will have to assess the nature of each case and take action accordingly,' he said.
Many cases of road bullying which have resulted in convictions have involved causing hurt. In April, IT manager Tan Eng Heong, 47, was jailed for six months for breaking another driver's arm with a wooden pole.
But where a case involves verbal insults or mischief, the police are likely to advise the motorist to file a magistrate's complaint, which costs $1. If he chooses to do so, he will write a report about the incident and file it with the court. A magistrate will then decide how serious the offence is.
The magistrate can then, among other things, direct the police to investigate further or refer the case for mediation. He can also throw out the complaint if he rules that there is no evidence of a criminal offence or it does not merit further attention.
Last year, the police investigated 76 cases of road bullying involving some level of physical assault, a slight drop from the 82 in 2008 and 94 in 2007. In 2005 and 2006, the figures were 69 and 76 respectively.
Lawyers said that in many minor cases of road bullying, it is often difficult to prove who the aggressor is. Said criminal lawyer Sunil Sudheesan: 'There are just too many cases of a minor nature for the police to investigate all of them.'
Some victims also choose not to take the matter further as filing a magistrate's complaint can end up being a tedious and costly process, especially if the accuser has to foot the bill for a lawyer if it goes to trial. Said criminal lawyer Chia Boon Teck: 'It's just not worth it. If it's minor, like a verbal insult, you should just live and let live.'
He added that if a person is charged in court following a magistrate's complaint, it is likely to be under the Miscellaneous Offences Act for intentional harassment, alarm or distress, which carries a fine.
With the number of cars on Singapore's roads at a high, there is always the risk that road bullying will increase.
Said Mr Michael Wong, vice-president of the Motor Traders Association: 'The sensible thing to do is to always keep your cool and keep your distance.'
Mr Gerard Ee, former president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, urged motorists not to go to the police unless the bully endangers the lives of others around him. And if they want to pursue the matter, they should have a video recording to strengthen the case.
'The police can act only if you give them proper evidence,' he added.
[email protected]
