Fewer traffic deaths in first half of 2026, but rise in injury-causing accidents

Deaths from traffic accidents fell in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, but more accidents resulting in injuries were recorded.

From January to June, Singapore recorded a total of 60 fatal road accidents, with 61 people killed. There were 78 fatal accidents and 79 deaths in the first half of 2025.

The dip was largely due to fewer fatalities among motorcyclists and pillion riders, said the Traffic Police (TP) on Friday (Aug 28) in its mid-year report on Singapore's traffic situation.

But the authority said the overall accident and casualty counts have continued to increase, calling the broader traffic situation "worrying".

The number of accidents resulting in injuries increased by 3.2 per cent to 3,869 in the first half of 2026, from 3,748 in the first half of 2025.

Likewise, the total number of injured persons and fatalities increased to 5,151 — up from 4,973 in the same period last year.

The number of injured persons stood at 5,090 this year, compared to 4,894 in 2025.

More accidents involving elderly pedestrians

Elderly pedestrians were involved in 144 road accidents in the first half of 2026, a 19 per cent increase from 121 cases in the same period last year.

Of the 132 seniors injured this year, 38.9 per cent involved elderly pedestrians who engaged in "unsafe pedestrian behaviour", according to the TP.

The elderly accounted for half of all pedestrian deaths, with nine killed in the first half of 2026, compared to 15 in the first half of 2025.

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More motorcyclists and pillion riders also met with accidents on the road, accounting for 55.6 per cent of all accidents in the first half of the year.

While the number of motorcyclist and pillion rider deaths decreased by 34.9 per cent, from 43 in 2025 to 28 in 2026, they remained the largest group of road users involved in fatal accidents and made up 45.9 per cent of all road deaths.

The total number of injured motorcyclists and pillion riders also rose to 2,470 from 2,335 last year.

The top three causes of motorcyclist-involved accidents were: failure to keep a proper lookout; failure to have proper control; and failure to exercise due care when changing lanes.

Speeding and running red lights

Additionally, the number of fatal speed-related accidents increased to 20 in 2026, compared to 19 in the first half of 2025.

This was despite an overall decrease in speed-related accidents — 437 this year compared to 457 the previous year.

The TP also detected 126,976 cases of speeding violations; 6.1 per cent more than the 119,640 cases caught last year.

This could be because of enhanced enforcement operations and the activation of the speed enforcement function in more red-light cameras islandwide, it added.

Meanwhile, the number of violations for running a red light decreased by 31.7 per cent to 9,454 between January and June.

The total number of red-light running accidents also decreased from 106 in the first six months of 2025 to 102 in the first half of 2026.

Of the 102 red-light running accidents, two were fatal.

The TP highlighted the need for further enforcement and policy measures to deter irresponsible road user behaviour and improve road safety.

TP Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu said: "While the decrease in fatal accidents and fatalities in the first half of 2026 is encouraging, the upward trend of road traffic accidents and casualties over the past few years is a stark reminder that much more needs to be done for road safety."

The authority said they will also continue to strengthen public education and engagement efforts to encourage safer and more responsible road behaviour.

"Road safety is a shared responsibility, and every road user has a part to play in keeping our roads safe," said Chiu.

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