Traffic police special ops team to catch errant drivers

 Traffic police special ops team to catch errant drivers

Motorists using mobile phones while driving, lorry drivers breaking speed limits and failing to keep left and motorcyclists weaving across lanes recklessly - Traffic Police's latest enforcers have been catching them all.

A video posted on Use Your RoadSense Facebook page on Monday showed footage of TP's Special Operations Team (SOT) on their black "stealth bikes" clamping down on errant drivers, including a motorcyclist who made a U-turn against the direction of traffic and them speeding off at 160kmh.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/roadsense.sg/videos/1834283736803912/[/embed]

The two-minute clip has since racked up more than 330,000 views and more than 7,600 shares.

"These 'men in black' look out for common traffic offences, such as driving while using the (mobile phone), and ensure that motorists are ever-alert on the roads - a timely reminder not to #PokemonGo and drive," the post said, referencing the popular Pokemon Go mobile game, in which players catch virtual creatures using their mobile devices.

The Singapore Police Force, which shared the video on its Facebook page, said the traffic situation continues to show improvements in various areas but a minority of road users endanger the lives of others.

It added: "The TP will continue to take strict enforcement against such errant motorists even as we focus on education and enforcement efforts; reminding them that all road users have a role to play in keeping our roads safe."

Also called covert officers, the TP's stealth bikers have been on the roads since June.

Clad in black jackets, the officers ride black 900cc motorcycles that are more manoeuvrable and have proven effective in curbing errant motorcyclists.

TP commander Sam Tee told The Straits Times that it was not easy for officers to go after motorcyclists in unmarked cars, as they can lose sight of them in heavy traffic.

The "stealth bikes", on the other hand, are much more manoeuvrable.

TP statistics show that, last year, 4,875 motorcyclists and pillion riders were injured, a 5 per cent rise from 2014. This group also accounted for almost half of all road deaths last year - 72 out of a total of 152.

In their first month of operations, TP's stealth officers detected more than 700 violations.

The SOT's officer commanding, Assistant Superintendent Firdous Haniff, 30, said the unmarked motorbikes have proven effective, adding that foreign police forces, such as those in Australia, employ similar tactics.

Additional reporting by Danson Cheong


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