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In this Explainer, find out...
Why does Singapore need Silver Zones?
What changes in infrastructure have these Silver Zones brought about?
How useful are these Silver Zones in reality?
Introduction
By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years or older — an alarming statistic that underscores the rapid ageing of Singapore's population.¹ Singapore’s ageing population brings a host of unique challenges such as an increased strain on healthcare and more pressure on the government budget. It also means that Singapore has to adapt its road infrastructure, making it more elderly-friendly so that our elders can navigate it with peace of mind.
In this Policy Explainer, we will look at one key effort to make Singapore’s roads more elderly-friendly — Silver Zones. Specifically, we will seek to understand why Silver Zones are needed, what enhancements make them more elderly-friendly, and whether such changes have proven effective.
The Need for Silver Zones
As we age, our cognitive, perceptual and motor skills deteriorate. All three of these skills are necessary for us to judge oncoming traffic and thus, cross roads safely. However, with age, our mental focus wanes, meaning that older people tend to have more difficulty crossing roads.²
While a range of punitive and non-punitive measures have been introduced to improve road safety in Singapore, the incidence of pedestrian-related fatal accidents involving seniors aged 60 and above remains high.³ As recent as 2022, this figure stood at 70 per cent,⁴ a worrying figure considering the growing share of elderly in Singapore. The reality is that, due to the impaired senses of the elderly and a lack of designated crossings, they are often forced to jaywalk, increasing the risk of accidents.⁵
Recognising this, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been repurposing stretches of roads as Silver Zones since 2014. In the next section, we will discuss how such infrastructural changes have made roads in Singapore safer for the elderly.
Silver Zones
What Constitutes A Silver Zone?
Broadly speaking, Silver Zones seek to improve road safety for older pedestrians by slowing traffic and alerting motorists of the presence of elderly road users.
Three main factors are used to decide whether stretches of road are designated as Silver Zones:
Demographics: Silver Zones are more likely to be found in areas with high elderly populations.
Amenities: Silver Zones are commonly found in areas with amenities that seniors frequent, such as hawker centres, wet markets, and community centres.
Accident Rates: Areas with high accident rates involving seniors are more likely to have Silver Zones.⁶
Areas that meet the above criteria will be marked as Silver Zones and undergo significant infrastructural changes. As of 2024, 40 Silver Zones have been constructed, with plans to increase this number to 50 by the end of 2025.⁷
Features of Silver Zones
So how exactly are Silver Zones safer for elderly pedestrians? To answer this, let us turn to the unique features of Silver Zones.
1. Silver Zone Gateway
First, as motorists enter a Silver Zone, they are greeted by a Silver Zone Gateway. Silver Zone Gateways comprise prominent signs and road markings that indicate the start of a Silver Zone (see Figure 1). Bright, fluorescent yellow-green signs and yellow rumble strips are used to alert motorists that they are entering the Silver Zone.⁸
In addition, most Silver Zone Gateways are equipped with setback kerb-cut ramps, creating narrower crossing points that shorten the distance pedestrians need to cross. This not only allows the elderly to cross more quickly, but it also provides motorists with more time to spot elderly pedestrians, preventing accidents. However, motorists still have the right of way, so pedestrians must check for oncoming vehicles before crossing.
2. Low-Height Centre Dividers
Across Singapore, two-lane roads are typically separated by a single paint strip. This causes roads to seem wide, encouraging motorists to drive faster.¹⁰ In Silver Zones, low-height centre dividers are added, narrowing lane widths substantially (see Figure 2). This change encourages motorists to drive more slowly. In turn, motorists have more time to respond to traffic conditions like the presence of elderly pedestrians. Furthermore, these dividers prevent motorists from overtaking by driving into the adjacent lane, endangering the lives of all road users. Thus, elderly pedestrians are less likely to encounter road accidents.
3. Pinch points and “Eye-Lands”
The aforementioned low-height centre dividers can be widened to create “Eye-Lands” (see Figure 3). These “Eye-Lands” further narrow lanes in Silver Zones, creating pinch points where traffic is purposely slowed. These “Eye-Lands” also serve as points of refuge for elderly pedestrians. They allow elderly pedestrians to cross just one lane, stopping on the “Eye-Lands” to rest and check for oncoming traffic before crossing again.¹² This way, elderly pedestrians can cross roads in Silver Zones more safely.
4. Chicanes
Long straight roads tend to be recipes for disaster. It presents motorists with the perfect opportunity to speed, increasing the chance of accidents. To combat this, chicanes, distinct for their S-shape, have been introduced in Silver Zones (see Figure 4). These chicanes have many bends and turns, forcing motorists to go slower. In turn the chances of accidents involving the elderly falls, especially in elderly dense areas.¹⁴
5. Bollards
To reduce driving speeds, bollards with reflective sheeting have been installed at zebra crossings in Silver Zones.¹⁶ When the headlights of approaching vehicles shine on these bollards, the reflective sheeting alerts motorists to the crossing. This compels motorists to look out for any oncoming pedestrians, thus reducing the probability of accidents involving all pedestrians, including the elderly.
6. Speed Limits and Fines
Finally, speed limits at Silver Zones have been reduced to 30 km per hour. This is accompanied by enhanced penalties to deter irresponsible driving. Under the Road Traffic Act, motorists committing traffic offences in Silver Zones will incur two extra demerit points and be liable to up to $100 more of fines vis-à-vis offences committed on other roads. All these measures seek to deter motorists from recklessly speeding in Silver Zones, thus reducing accident rates.
THE EFFICACY OF SILVER ZONES
Have Silver Zones been successful in reducing road accidents involving elderly pedestrians? Data from the LTA suggests that they have. Comparing accident rates at 15 completed Silver Zones, LTA found a 75 per cent decrease in accidents, falling from an average of 14 cases in 2014 to 4 cases as of 2018.¹⁸ This statistic illustrates that Silver Zones have not only enhanced road safety for the elderly but have also positively benefitted other pedestrians.
However, it is insufficient to consider only the impact of Silver Zones on (elderly) pedestrians. Silver Zones also affect other road users, especially motorists who must negotiate roads with additional features. A main grievance among motorists is that Silver Zones only increase traffic in the area. This is because of the use of pinch points and chicanes that slow vehicles down, leading to more congested roads.
Furthermore, some drivers have called Silver Zones unnecessary. One driver opined that “Pedestrians won’t look out for vehicles in Silver Zones because they assume drivers will slow down for them,” suggesting that Silver Zones shift the onus of preventing accidents entirely onto drivers, and complacent pedestrians will inevitably wind up in road accidents as they do not look out for oncoming traffic.¹⁹
While there may be some truth to this driver’s opinions, the reality is likely somewhere in between. There may be some pedestrians who take fewer precautions because of the enhanced features of Silver Zones, but there will also be elderly pedestrians who face genuine difficulties assessing traffic conditions due to their age. As such, it can be argued that more “able” drivers ought to concede some of their ease of driving to promote the safety of other road users, especially those from more vulnerable groups.
Looking Beyond Silver Zones
Beyond Silver Zones, Singapore may look abroad to consider other road enhancements that reduce the risk of road accidents involving the elderly.
One example of alternative road enhancements is “Naked Streets”.²⁰ Unlike Silver Zones, Naked Streets involve the removal of all hard safety measures, including safety barriers, traffic lights, warning signs, speed humps, pedestrian crossings and road markings. These are all replaced with road surfaces that do not clearly distinguish between vehicle and pedestrian space (see Figure 6), creating ambiguity in traffic rules and fostering a street environment that encourages eye contact and human interaction. By increasing street complexity, car speeds and road accidents are consequently reduced. This has worked in the Netherlands, where accidents were halved along roads redesigned as Naked Streets.²¹
What sets Naked Streets and Silver Zones apart is the presence of “nudges”. Put simply, a nudge is an intervention that leads people to make certain choices. With Naked Streets, drivers are constantly nudged to drive slowly due to a surplus of foot movement present on the roads. However, in Silver Zones, more direct methods are applied to slow down vehicles. Although both methods have proven effective in reducing road accidents, Singapore has largely adopted the latter to protect its elderly pedestrians. To this end, it will be interesting for us to consider the merits and demerits of introducing Naked Streets in Singapore, in particular, whether it will be suitable in Singapore’s context.²²
Conclusion
As seen in this Policy Explainer, Silver Zones are an effective way of reducing the number of road accidents involving the elderly. This positive finding has no doubt encouraged LTA to establish more Silver Zones since its introduction in 2014. However, as discussed before, Silver Zones have caused inconveniences to other road users, especially drivers. Thus, while Silver Zones remain effective in promoting road safety, LTA should continue gathering feedback on it. This will help LTA to improve the experience of other road users, ensuring that Singapore’s road infrastructure remains inclusive for all.
This Policy Explainer was written by members of MAJU. MAJU is an independent, youth-led organisation that focuses on engaging Singaporean youths in a long-term research process to guide them in jointly formulating policy ideas of their own.
By sharing our unique youth perspectives, MAJU hopes to contribute to the policymaking discourse and future of Singapore.
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