More elderly pedestrians got killed as a result of jaywalking last year, according to the Singapore Traffic Police at an annual briefing recently.
Those aged 60 and above accounted for more than half of the total number of pedestrian fatalities – 29 out of 55.
Out of the 29, 24 died as a result of jaywalking – which is two thirds of the total number of 36 jaywalkers who were killed.
In 2009, 20 out of 45 pedestrian fatalities were elderly people. Of these 20, 16 were jaywalkers.
Convenience is one main reason why many old people neglect their safety on roads. One authority said; “There are situations where the overhead bridge may not be very easy for the elderly to climb… We’ve got to constantly remind them of the dangers of jaywalking,” he said.
If so, how about reviewing the ‘age-friendliness’ of the overhead bridges. Maybe it’s not simply ‘convenience’ but physical impairment that causes the older folks to find easier, but more dangerous, alternatives.
A perfect example of how government and society needs to adapt to the ageing population. Education campaigns and ‘games’ will be useless if physical abilty of older pedestrians is the main issue.
