Motormouth: How my European road trip proved to me that Singaporeans can't drive

I went on a 10-day road trip through Western and Central Europe recently, and it proved to me that Singaporeans can’t drive. 

Now, if you’re already getting all in a tizzy and defensive, you know what they say about if the shoe fits. But anyway, back to the topic at hand, allow me to elaborate.

In essentially all of Europe, speed limits are significantly higher than in Singapore, with limits of 130km/h commonplace across many European highways. Germany famously also has sections of its autobahn network with no speed limit at all. Why does this work? 

Yes, of course, it works because those countries are much bigger than ours. But more importantly, it works because the people have a different mindset when it comes to driving. 

In Singapore, drivers (and frankly most citizens, driving or otherwise) have a “me first” mentality that seeps into every facet of their driving. You see this all the time on our roads, from rushing through zebra crossings even when pedestrians are waiting, to acting like being overtaken on the expressway is a direct dishonour to their family. 

Which brings me to my next point: lane discipline actually exists in Europe, unlike here, where drivers treat every lane as free real estate just waiting to be hogged 15km/h below the limit. God forbid you try to overtake them, though, because suddenly these hoggers will remember their accelerator pedal works and speed up to block you. Excellent!

And if by chance there’s an emergency vehicle coming with the lights or even sirens on, the Singaporean response is twofold. 

Firstly, many must believe giving way is a chargeable action (monetarily) because I can’t think of any other valid reason for obstinately sitting right in front of a vehicle designed to literally be as visible as possible. 

And second, if by their good grace they do give way to said emergency vehicle, their first thought is to merge behind it as quickly as possible to enjoy some free escort action, lane-splitting motorcycles and cars already existing in the lane be damned! 

During congestion on European highways, vehicles automatically move to the sides of their lanes to form a corridor in the middle for emergency vehicles. Singapore could learn a thing or ten.

I am aware that a 10-day road trip isn’t an exhaustive study of an entire continent, but based on what I saw during my trip, these transgressions simply do not exist in Europe, regardless of whether I was in Germany or Slovenia. And while I’m sure there are people with a Singaporean-style mindset, they are the exception, not the norm.

Even the European versions of YPs, in their clapped-out VW Golfs and BMW 3 Series with the pop-and-bang exhaust tunes, abide by the rules of the road, giving way to pedestrians, sticking to the slow lane on the highway when not overtaking, and jumping out of the way for emergency vehicles. 

And before you say that at least we Singaporeans drive better than our regional neighbours, that’s not true either. 

Look at Malaysia: sure, speed limits are often merely a suggestion, but lane discipline on the highways is undeniably better than in Singapore; that is to say, it exists. More often than not, cars will vacate the fast lane the moment they realise a faster car is coming, and usually well in advance too.

Look at Thailand: in my experience, lane discipline isn’t a thing there either, but they make up for it by being courteous drivers who are aware of their surroundings, something the average tunnel-vision, rushing-everywhere Singaporean driver can only dream about. 

But why are we like this? I think I’ve cracked the case. 

In my mind, nothing in the world is more accurately described than the Certificate of Entitlement, because Singaporean drivers are, above all else, entitled. Instead of fostering a collective, harmonious driving environment, we have individuals who feel entitled to their being on the road, regardless of who they have to impede, cut off, inconvenience, or endanger to get there. 

Maybe I’m being unfair, maybe the taxi uncle who can’t even regulate his accelerator properly or drive in a straight line knows something I don’t. Maybe I’m just fed up with wondering why everyone else seems to have figured out this driving malarkey but us. 

But after this latest trip, I came away convinced that the problem isn’t our roads, our cars, or our speed limits. The blame falls squarely on our drivers. You don’t have to be the fastest driver, the most skilful driver, or even be particularly enthusiastic about driving. You just have to understand that you’re sharing the road with everyone else.

Which, sadly, might be too much to ask in a country where drivers have paid through the nose for the entitlement to own their cars.

Perhaps we’ve just taken the Certificate of Entitlement a little too literally.

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