Good morning,

Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui

Commander Traffic Police, Mr Rajoo Gopal

Senior Managing Director of Honda Motor, Mr Katsuro Suzuki

Chairman of Bukit Batok Driving Centre, Mr Lum Hon Fye and

Distinguished Guests

Ladies & Gentlemen

I am very pleased to join you this morning for the Launch of the Teenage Road Safety Education Programme cum Promoting the Use of the Portable Triangular Warning Signs in conjunction with Bukit Batok Driving Centre’s 10^th Anniversary. I congratulate the BBDC for its success over the past 10 years in training drivers as well as promoting road safety awareness among road users.

Good road safety habits should be developed while young, as these habits will be of benefit throughout life. Road safety is especially important as one enters the teenage years and starts to lead a more active and independent life. As road users, whether cyclists or pedestrians, teenagers have an important part to play in maintaining road safety.

Cycling is fun and a good form of exercise. It is also a convenient and safe mode of transport if cyclists obey traffic rules and regulations like other vehicles. Accidents may occur if cyclists ignore traffic rules and engage in unsafe acts such as beating red lights, riding against the flow of traffic or in a zigzag manner, following behind a vehicle too closely, or failing to use headlights and reflectors.

To ensure a safe and pleasant ride, cyclists should remember to do the following:

1. conduct a pre-check on various bicycle parts, such as headlights and reflectors, to ensure that they are in good working condition;
2. obey traffic rules and regulations; and
3. practise safe cycling habits that will prevent accidents.

Teenage pedestrians should also be very aware of road safety, as lives are endangered by unsafe road behaviour such as:

1. playing ball-games at the roadside;
2. not using pedestrian crossings; or
3. dashing across the road.

1. using the footpaths as far as possible;
2. ensuring that vehicles have come to a stop before walking across pedestrian crossings; and
3. practising the road safety kerb drill by looking to the right, then left and right again for oncoming vehicles before crossing the road.

I am glad that the BBDC takes a particular interest in teenage road safety. I commend their initiative to design a Teenage Road Safety Education Programme for teenage cyclists and pedestrians, which I am sure will be of much value to the community.

It is also good that BBDC uses today’s event to encourage the public to use the portable triangular warning signs. The display of portable triangular warning signs is a road safety measure that alerts other road users to the presence of a breakdown vehicle. Their reflectivity and colour make these warning signs much more effective than pails, branches, clothes, and other objects that are commonly used to alert other motorists of a vehicle breakdown. As a result, the warning signs could prevent potential accidents between breakdown vehicles and oncoming traffic. In view of this, I encourage all motorists to use the Portable Triangular Warning Sign in case of vehicle breakdown, as this simple sign could be life-saving.

I am confident that as BBDC continues to work with the Traffic Police and schools to improve road safety, their joint efforts will make our roads safer for all teenage users and motorists.

To commemorate the 10^th Anniversary of Bukit Batok Driving Centre, I am happy to launch this Teenage Road Safety Education Programme today.

Thank you.