In
the article “Floor lights help 'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road”, Tan
(2017) reports that the Land Transport Authority is experimenting on a new
road-crossing feature that utilizes LED strips to “mimic sequence
of the traditional Walking and Standing Man signals at pedestrian
crossings” (Tan, 2017). Menon (2017), senior research
fellow of Nanyang technological University, states that the installation of
such floor lights will enhance safety of those who are constantly looking at
their smartphones as they are unaware of the road condition. While I feel that
thisI am not convinced that the
experimentation will be successful and should it be implemented in the future,
it will not be sufficient in tackling the ‘smartphone zombies’ problem.
When
asked if they manage to spot the LED strips in action many pedestrians failed
to notice it, with two of them feels that the strips are unnoticeable under
bright sunlight (Chua, 2017). Among those who sees it, not all of them
understand its operation and intended use. One of them thought that the strips
are festive decorations (Chua, 2017), not knowing that it is a safety feature.
From this interview, I feel that there is insufficient awareness about the LED
strips among pedestrians. Hence, public awareness about the strips should be
raised to allow this experiment to be effective and eventually, a successful
implementation.
Public
awareness can be raised by having a set of advertisement featuring the strips
with emphasis on explaining its operation and purpose. It can consist of a
commercial which can be broadcasted across the country and uploaded on social
media and posters which can be featured at public amenities such as bus
interchanges and train stations. From there, more people will be aware of the
strips and understand it. Eventually, the public's awareness about the strips
will be raised.
If
the strips will to be implemented in the future, it will not be sufficient to
tackle our ‘smartphone zombies’. Besides having the strips, efforts in
educating road safety should be increased. This can be done by increasing the
frequency or duration of our road safety related roadshows. One of such
roadshows is the Singapore Road Safety Month (SRSM), which is a three-day event
jointly organized by the Traffic Police (TP) and Singapore Road Safety Council
(2017) which promotes road safety to road users.
Statistics
from TP Straits Times Graphics shown that number of pedestrians involved in
accidents are on the rise from 896 in 2014 to 1030 in 2016 (Tan, 2017). From
here, this can be associated to the lack of effort in educating road safety. This
is evident from the duration of SRSM. Although it is named as a “Month”, the
roadshow itself only lasts for three days. Hence, a full month should be dedicated
to this roadshow by having it on rotation to different heartland areas so that
people from all over the country can benefit from it. By doing that, the organizers will be able to reach out to more people and educate them about road
safety.
With
heightened awareness about the LED strips and its information, I believe that
its experimentation and eventual implementation will be successful. Coupled
with the increased efforts on educating road safety, we will be sufficient to
tackle the “smartphone zombies” within our country.
Reference
Chua, X. (2017, May 09). New flashing LED strips for
pedestrians at 2 traffic-light crossings. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-flashing-led-strips-pedestrians-2-traffic-light-crossings
News Release - Singapore Road Safety Month 2017.
(2017, May 26). Retrieved September 28, 2017, from
https://www.police.gov.sg/news-and-publications/media-releases/20170526_others_singapore_road_safety_month_2017
Tan, C. (2017, May 09). Floor lights help
'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/floor-lights-help-smartphone-zombies-keep-eye-on-the-road
