From Straits Times Forum:
AS A driver commuting daily, I cannot help but feel
pressured and stressed driving on our roads these days.
It has never been so stressful on our roads
The reason?
After the recent increase in speed cameras around Singapore, I have
been booked twice for speeding.
Now I have to be extra-careful, to the extent of being
paranoid.
I have never felt this way before. Prior to this, I have never
received a speeding ticket though I started driving seven years
ago.
Previously, I had to look out for only other road users and
pedestrians and cyclists. Now I have to look out for bushes and
overhead bridges to check if there are any Traffic Police officers
lurking with their speed camera.
Not surprisingly, many of my friends who have been booked for
speeding feel the same way too.
I understand that the authorities need to make our roads safer,
especially with so many accidents due to speeding. But the hidden
speed cameras have affected our way of driving.
It has never been so stressful.
I travel quite a fair bit every day. So trust me, it is not easy to
live with this kind of stress.
Of course, there is the argument that if you stick to the rules,
you do not have to worry at all.
I tried driving within the speed limits and all I got were stares,
honks and bad vibes from other road users who had to go out of
their way to overtake me. Many times, even commercial vehicles, be
it big or small, overtook me.
Also, there are times when I look desperately for the speed-limit
sign and, when I do not see any on a particular stretch of road, I
begin to feel pressured, worrying if I am speeding or not.
On certain roads it is very difficult to stick to the speed limit.
For example, on a road with a downward slope, like when entering a
tunnel, the car's speed will increase even if you ease off the
accelerator. In such instances, I start to brake only to receive
high beams from the vehicles behind.
I hope the officers overseeing traffic regulations have tried
driving around Singapore within the speed limits. If they have,
they would have found how impractical it is to drive this
way.
It may be better for all vehicles, including cars, to have some
device like a speed limiter, so everyone travels within the speed
limits.
That way, at least, I do not have to worry about speed cameras and
pressure from other road users.
Teng Chee Khoon
http://www.straitstimes.com/sub/forum/story/0,5562,295730,00.html?
