Smash-up street

Two road junctions in the East Coast area have seen more than their fair share of accidents.

One is the junction of Telok Kurau and St Patrick's roads, while the other is the junction of Telok Kurau and East Coast roads.

Mr Jeff Cheong, 39, who works in advertising, finds the frequency of accidents in the area alarming.

He estimated that close to 20 crashes have occurred since he moved to the area last year.

To warn fellow residents, he began compiling a Facebook photo album documenting the accidents along the entire stretch of Telok Kurau Road.

He told The New Paper: "I was quite concerned with how problematic Telok Kurau Road is, all the way from Marine Parade to East Coast.

"That's why I created the album, to raise awareness of the accidents here."

The most recent accident took place just three days ago, when a sports utility vehicle turned turtle after it was involved in a collision with a taxi.

TNP reported that the vehicles crashed at the junction of Telok Kurau and St Patrick's roads on Wednesday morning.

Although no one was seriously injured, Mr Cheong was unnerved after reading the report because the accident happened less than 50m away from his home.

FINAL STRAW

He decided it was the final straw and contacted TNP to highlight his concern.

"This isn't a one-off accident. Something needs to be done about this street," said Mr Cheong, who has three children aged between five and 11.

"I live along the roadside and my family walks along that road every day.

"We could have been hurt in the accident."

Since he started the album last year, 27 photos of crashes around that area have been uploaded by nine contributors.

But they are just the tip of the iceberg, said Ms Evonne Sng, 42, a contributor who said that accidents, both minor and major, are a monthly occurrence where she lives.

The finance manager lives at the neighbouring St Patrick's Road, which is near St Patrick's School.

She said: "There's heavy traffic every morning when parents drop off their kids.

"I've personally witnessed an accident where the car mounted the kerb upon impact.

"It's very dangerous for the schoolchildren."

Fellow St Patrick's Road resident Neo Lih-Miin described the junction of Telok Kurau and St Patrick's roads as an accident hot spot.

Ms Neo, 42, an art studio manager, said that accidents mostly happen when vehicles on St Patrick's Road turn into the four-lane Telok Kurau Road.

She said: "I try to avoid turning into Telok Kurau Road and take a detour instead.

"It's a longer route, but I feel safer."

Associate Professor Terence Fan, a transport specialist from the Singapore Management University, suggested installing a traffic light at that junction.

He said: "The authorities would likely balance the need for a traffic light versus the amount of traffic that requires it so that the public is not unnecessarily slowed down.

"I would also urge them to see if there is a common thread across these accidents."

This article was first published on June 27, 2015.
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