Harsher penalties for dangerous driving in School Zones and Silver Zones come July

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has announced that it will enhance the demerit points and composition fines given for offences committed in Silver Zones and School Zones.

In a statement announced on June 1, 2021, it stated that motorists who commit offences at pedestrian crossings or offences that endanger pedestrian safety at Silver and School Zones will incur two additional demerit points on top of the original demerit points for the offence.

In addition, the composition fines for these specified offences committed in Silver Zones will be raised by $100.

It stated that these offences include failing to slow down or give way when approaching pedestrian crossings at such zones including signalised junctions.

The penalties will also be increased for offences including speeding and driving against the flow of traffic at these zones. A full list of the specified traffic offences is available from the MHA here.

The Land Transport Authority has been implementing Silver Zones at residential areas with higher populations of elderly.

Silver Zones typically have a reduced speed limit of 40km/h and additional traffic-calming and senior-friendly road safety features, including additional crossing points and lanes with reduced width to slow down traffic.

The MHA states that the number of traffic accidents resulting in elderly pedestrian casualties has increased in recent years, from 223 in 2015 to 317 in 2019. Elderly pedestrians continue to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents resulting in pedestrian fatalities.

In 2020 for example, the elderly made up more than 80 per cent of pedestrian fatalities.

The changes to the composition fines and demerit points for the specified traffic offences committed in Silver Zones and School Zones will take effect from July 1, 2021.