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It’s no secret how much Singaporeans dislike the cost of owning a car in Singapore, but there’s that whole part about actually driving a car after you’ve bought it that can be a whole different headache altogether.
All it takes is a quick search on the web to figure out that Singaporean drivers can be unhappy with quite a number of things. Some complaints are rather serious and some are just said out of frustration. Here’s a short list of some common complaints you often hear Singaporean drivers talk about. Regardless of the reason though, it’s a pretty interesting insight into how some drivers think. So without further ado, we take a look at some of the bigger complaints (cost of driving aside) that Singaporean drivers often bring up these days:
1. Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs)
A simple search on Reddit will already show you just how much this is being talked about, and also give you some insight to the level of anger drivers have towards people riding PMDs.
If we were to choose the biggest complaint at this point in time (COE doesn’t count because Singaporeans will forever be complaining about that), it would have to be reckless Singaporeans riding PMDs. Don’t believe us? Here’s a starter:
The truth is it does get pretty dangerous, and can endanger drivers as well who have to avoid these fast moving scooters or bikes. Without going overboard with videos of accidents (and there are many, trust us), here’s how dangerous it can get:
3 PMDs speeding at above 50 km/hLTA needs to put more effort on night duty for enforcement on PMDs, as most of these daredevils only start appearing from 10 pm onwards.
3 PMDs speeding at above 50 km/h along Sims Avenue East towards Bedok. Happened on 18/9/18 at 10.40pm.
“These guys were going over 50km/h. My speedo reads 50km/h, and all 3 of them beat the red light. Potentially endangering the pedestrian if she decided to cross faster. All 3 were not wearing any helmet also.”
Credit: FC
#LTA #SPF
Posted by ROADS.sg on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Needless to say, with these new elements to deal with on the roads, Singaporean drivers aren’t particularly pleased with an added risk.
2. Rude drivers and driving etiquette
We can argue all day long about which country has the rudest drivers, but the truth is that we should take a look at ourselves and realise that bad driving etiquette can have severe consequences if it spills over into reckless driving.
With the proliferation of videos on the Internet, as well as in-car cameras becoming an extremely commonplace thing in a very short span of time, the number of examples of terrible driving and extremely rude behaviour in Singapore has increased exponentially in the past few years.
Jaguar SDK2626B driver has ego issuesSelf-entitlement is big with this driver of Jaguar SDK2626B
The driver was being inconsiderate, driving against traffic and endangering others and still blaming others for not reversing for him. 😥
Happened on 21/9/18, 1731 hours at [email protected] Bukit.
Credit: Kenneth Woo
Posted by ROADS.sg on Sunday, September 23, 2018
SLT9981LSLT9981L doing what idiots do on a daily basis.
(Video Credit: Joshua Mok)
Spotted some bad driving behaviour on the road? Send in your video and get rewarded!
Budget Direct Insurance – Singapore and Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Roadhave teamed up to reward you for highlighting bad drivers in Singapore. Get rewarded with up to $100* if your video submission is chosen! Campaign ends 30 November 2018.
*T&Cs apply. (http://bit.ly/BudsyPatrol)
Posted by Beh Chia Lor – Singapore Road on Wednesday, September 26, 2018
While in-car cameras definitely make providing evidence a lot easier, it’s still important to make sure you know what to do in the event of an accident, and how to make a car insurance claim, so that you don’t run the risk of not being able to get your repairs covered.
3. Car Insurance Scams
Most people have probably heard a story about some friend getting scammed in the course of a “traffic accident”, and it’s even sometimes used as a horror story by parents who aren’t comfortable with their kids travelling north of the border.
But reports as recent as November of last year showed that motor insurance fraud was on the rise, and many of them were linked to large-scale syndicates. What is scary is that this isn’t just confined to the North-South Expressway in Malaysia, but happens in Singapore as well.
We’ve written previously about a first hand account of someone getting caught in a car insurance scam. In this case, he had to deal with a fraudulent $42,000 claim, which isn’t just a hassle to deal with, but also caused his subsequent car insurance premiums to skyrocket.
Thankfully, action is being taken, and one of the masterminds behind the largest collective amount of fraudulent claims was put in jail in the middle of this year. But it’s also important to be aware that apart from this, individuals might also inflate their insurance claims. Here’s a very typical example of a post you’ll find on forums discussing cars and car insurance:
Sound familiar? Ever have someone tell you about having a ridiculous amount claimed from his or her insurance? Well they are definitely not alone in this.
Speaking of accidents, one of the other massive headaches when it comes to driving is having to deal with accidents and the process of making sure that your car is fixed and that you are able to make the necessary claims.
This is where Income has developed services to add greater value beyond just providing coverage for your car. Their Orange Force service is a 24/7 response team that helps to alleviate the stress of having to deal with an accident, and help to ensure that you are safe and that the right procedure is followed.
Following up on that, their Motor Service Centre (MSC) is a one-stop depot that allows policyholders to not only settle their accident reporting and damage assessment, but also to ensure that the repairs are done to a high standard before the vehicle is released.
All this is really in an effort to ensure that driving, and the unfortunate mishaps that happen from time to time, doesn’t become more of a source of frustration than it already is, as you can see from what we’ve spoken about above.
Want to ensure not only that your car is insured well, but that you are also taken care of throughout the process of getting your car repaired? Head on over to Income’s Motor Insurance page to find out how they are making drivers’ lives a lot easier with their solutions.