Discretionary right-turn junctions 'fundamentally problematic': NMP
She was on her way to meet her students at the Singapore University of Technology and Design when she was knocked down by a double-decker bus that was turning right.
Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Lim Sun Sun shared her experience in Parliament yesterday and pointed out that discretionary right turns - which allow drivers to turn right on green when they deem it to be safe - are problematic.
Commending the discontinuation of them during the discussion on the new Road Traffic Act, Prof Lim said the accident on June 13 occurred as she was crossing the road at the junction of Upper Changi Road East and Somapah Road.
She was at the traffic light crossing with the green man on.
Prof Lim said: "I even made eye contact with the driver and caught his horrified expression as he saw me. The next thing I knew, I had been thrown onto my back and I felt my head hitting the road very very hard."
ACCIDENTS A CONCERN
While she was comforted that there is much attention to road safety, she said that accidents remain a concern.
She said: "Discretionary right-turn junctions are fundamentally problematic."
Other MPs shared her sentiment, with some of them raising similar accidents which have occurred at such junctions.
MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC and NTUC Assistant Secretary-General, Melvin Yong said: "While I am encouraged that there are plans to install more non-discretionary right-turn arrows, I would like for us to go one step further and convert all right turn arrows into non-discretionary."
The suggestion by MPs to do away with discretionary right turns was among other additional suggestions made by MPs during the discussion.
Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs, said that the suggestions will be considered by the Ministry and relevant agencies for future reviews.
Notwithstanding the various suggestions, Parliament passed the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.
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