Singapore – A video of an uncle taking his time to cross the road illegally, disregarding an incoming vehicle’s honking is circulating online, spurring netizens to ask if it was his grandfather’s road.
On Tuesday (Dec 22), Facebook page ROADS.sg shared a Stomp video of a man in a grey shirt taking his time to cross the road despite an oncoming vehicle’s attempt through honking to inform him of the potential dangers of jaywalking.
“Mr Tan was driving along Jurong West Avenue 5 on Monday (Dec 21) when he noticed a pedestrian in the middle of the road taking his own time and ignoring a car honking at him,” read the caption. “Could his grandfather’s name be ‘Jurong?'”
“The old man, think his Ah Gong/Grandfather Road, he just doesn’t care,” commented netizen Bernard Soh on the incident.
To those who backed the uncle, noting he could be hearing impaired, one CH Yong wondered if jaywalking could be justified in this scenario. “Don’t know why people are defending the old man. Jaywalking is already an offence, yet he is still jaywalking, and some more take his own sweet time. I bet if it is a young dude, people would already start scolding.”
In July last year, a woman was sent flying through the air and onto another car after being hit by a vehicle while jaywalking along Balestier Road.
A similar incident occurred in April of the same year along Lavender Street near Kempas road, when a woman engrossed on her phone while jaywalking was hit by an oncoming taxi, knocking her off her feet and onto the road.
According to Rule 22 of the Highway Code, pedestrians at a light-controlled crossing must wait on the footway until the traffic in front has come to a standstill.
Pedestrians are also required to keep a lookout for errant motorists regardless of how long the lights have turned in their favour.
Furthermore, jaywalking is considered a road traffic offense with the implementation of the pedestrian crossing rules under the Road Traffic Act. Under these rules, a jaywalker is liable to be fined S$50 starting Apr 1, 2019, an increase from the previous S$20 fine.
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