SINGAPORE: The number of traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians rose in 2022, with injuries and deaths also increasing, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Tuesday (Feb 14).
Elderly pedestrians – those aged 60 and older – were involved in 235 traffic accidents last year, an increase of 14.6 per cent from the 205 in 2021, data from SPF’s Annual Road Traffic Situation report showed.
Correspondingly, the number of elderly pedestrian fatalities increased by 53.3 per cent to 23 in 2022, compared to 15 in the preceding year.
The number of elderly pedestrians injured, meanwhile, rose by 10.4 per cent from 193 in 2021 to 213 in 2022.
In total, there were 104 fatal traffic accidents in 2022, a 4 per cent increase from the 100 in 2021. The number of fatalities also increased slightly, from 107 to 108.
The number of accidents resulting in injuries increased by 13.8 per cent to 6,760 in 2022, compared to 5,939 in 2021. The number of people injured in accidents also increased to 8,252 in 2022, up 14 per cent from 7,240 in the preceding year.
The road traffic fatality rate per 100,000 population dipped from 1.96 in 2021 to 1.92 in 2022, however, amid an increase in Singapore’s population.
“With the resumption of more activities due to the easing of safe management measures, the number of road traffic accidents rose in 2022 compared to 2021,” SPF said in a news release.
“However, the number of road traffic accidents remains lower than the pre-COVID-19 period.
“The number of traffic accidents involving motorcyclists and elderly pedestrians increased in 2022. They continue to account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents resulting in injuries or death.”