Inconsiderate Drivers of the Week: Episode 33

(Photo Credit: ROADS.sg's Facebook Page)

In this episode of Inconsiderate Drivers of the Week, we feature a person ‘choping’ a parking space, more red-light beaters and a ‘drifting champion’.

In this special feature, we'll be taking a look at drivers and other road users who were caught on camera for their inconsiderate and reckless actions. These road users exhibit poor etiquette, and we hope you never emulate their behaviour on the roads.

1) Woman ‘Chopes’ Parking Lot for Car Reversing from Further Ahead

Singapore is a unique country. We have a practice of ‘choping’, leaving tissue packets on tables at hawker centres to reserve table and seats. But where in this ‘choping’ culture should we draw the line? Can a parking lot be reserved by a person?

In this video, we can see a parallel parking lot, and the camera car driver seems to have the intention to park there. But a lady stands in the parking lot, preventing the camera car from parking there, and gestures for a car ahead to park in that lot.

From ahead, a white Honda begins to reverse and begins to park in the parking lot. Only then does the lady moves and allows a car to park in the lot, leaving the camera car driver to sit helplessly, only to record the whole incident on the dashcam.

2) Black Mercedes Beats Red Light, Gets T-Boned by Taxi with Right of Way

Drivers beat the red light every day. Some get away with it scot-free, others get caught on camera, and quite a few of them end up in accidents.

In this video, we can see a traffic light turning green, giving vehicles on the same road as the camera car the right of way. The camera car was preparing to turn right, and was inching out into the turning pocket, and the two lanes to its left were for vehicles to go straight.

Suddenly, a black Mercedes appears from the right, beating the red light. The white Mazda driver manages to react and brake just in time, but the same could not be said for the taxi driver on the Mazda’s left. The taxi driver was unable to break in time, and T-bones the Mercedes.

3) Yellow Comfort Taxi Driver Beats Red Light, Narrowly Escapes a Collision with Turning Car

Some drivers like to consider taxi and private-hire drivers as one of the biggest menaces of the road, and dashcam footage videos like this only reinforce their beliefs.

In this video, we can see a traffic junction. The camera car driver is looking to turn right, and begins to move out slowly when the green light and arrow appears. Suddenly, a yellow taxi appears from the left, beating the red light, looking to turn right. The camera car and car next to it had to react quickly and both barely missed the reckless taxi driver.

4) White Car Makes Discretionary Right Turn Carelessly, Nearly Collides with Car

There has been quite an intense discussion on discretionary right turns, as quite a number of accidents or near-misses occur at such turnings. That is mostly the result of reckless drivers with bad judgement, and it has led to the call to install right turn green light arrows at traffic junction.

In this video, we can see a camera car approaching a traffic junction while the light is green. Ahead, there is a bus turning right, thus blocking the view from vehicles from the opposite side looking to turn right. As the camera car enters the junction, a white car appears from behind the bus, looking to turn right.

Luckily, both drivers reacted quickly to each other’s presence and braked hard, thus avoiding a collision.

5) Car Driver Loses Control on the PIE, Skids Across the Entire Width of the Expressway

When a driver loses control of their car, the consequences can be disastrous, especially when the car is going fast and they are many other vehicles on the road.

In this video, we can see a white car on the first lane signalling right, presumably wanting to change lanes. But due to another car following right next to the white car, the latter can’t change lane.

Suddenly, the white car begins to swerve in its lane and does a skid right across the width of the PIE, spinning in the process. Luckily, the traffic on the road was minimal at the time, and all the other drivers managed to avoid colliding with the skidding car.

The purpose of this compilation isn’t to shame or expose these road users, but to learn from their mistakes. In all honesty, the culture on Singapore’s roads leaves a lot to be desired. We lack basic road courtesy and we don’t mind causing inconveniences to other road users if it benefits us. We sometimes even put their lives at risks with our careless and nonchalant actions.

To improve our culture on the roads, we need to look ourselves in the mirror and learn to share our roads. Instead of treating fellow road users as competition, we need to remember that everyone else is just like us—all they want is to reach their destination safely and on time.

Read more: Inconsiderate Drivers of the Week: Episode 32

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