News

We refer to the letter by Youth Forum writer Edward Thomas Patani ( , Sept 19). The police take the safety of all persons, including bystanders and other road users, very seriously. Safety is our top priority in deciding whether to commence, continue or cease a vehicular pursuit. Some factors that influence the decision to commence a pursuit include the actions of the pursued vehicle, traffic conditions, road conditions, presence of members of the public and whether the fleeing subject and vehicle pose an immediate threat to life and property. All police officers who engage in vehicular pursuits are specially trained to do so safely. The incident mentioned by the writer occurred close to midnight. The driver was speeding and driving in a dangerous manner, weaving through traffic along the Pan-Island Expressway. Traffic Police (TP) officers spotted the speeding and weaving vehicle and signalled for the driver to stop. The driver refused to comply and sped off towards Lorong 2 Toa Payoh. TP officers assessed that the manner in which the vehicle was being driven posed a significant and continuing danger to others. They then started pursuing it to stop the driver as soon as possible, while requesting reinforcements. When the pedestrian was hit by the fleeing vehicle, the police attended to her immediately, with other resources continuing with the pursuit. The driver was eventually arrested. In situations where vehicular pursuit is not possible due to safety reasons, the TP conducts ground inquiries and leverages technology such as cameras to identify and apprehend the subjects. The TP would like to remind motorists to abide by traffic rules to keep our roads safe for everyone. We will act firmly against errant motorists who flout traffic laws and endanger the safety of other road users. Assistant Director (Public Communications Division) Public Affairs Department Singapore Police Force