You know how it goes lah. Third Auntie WhatsApp group lights up with news another aunty got knocked down at zebra crossing. Headshakes all around. Tsk tsk so careless these drivers. Then comes the twist. Driver also uncle, 70 years old, jail sentence confirmed today. Suddenly the kopitiam talk changes flavor like teh tarik with uneven sugar.

Here’s the bitter sip nobody wants to taste. That zebra crossing could be any neighborhood one. The 68 year old woman buying groceries could be your own popo. And the 70 year old bus driver? Might be your retired engineer father keeping busy. When silver hair appears on both sides of an accident report, Singapore’s ‘smart city’ shine starts looking rather wrinkled at the edges.

Make no mistake, the law did its job straight arrow no funny business. Driver pleaded guilty. Two weeks jail. Fine. Lifetime driving ban. Textbook case closed faster than you can say justice served. But then why this uncomfortable itch between our shoulder blades?

Perhaps because underneath the court verdict floats bigger questions about how we treat our grandparents as public space users. Our kopitiam uncles debate with half peeled boiled eggs. You know Singapore style. One side blames elderly drivers. Fingers wag about eyesight checks, slower reflexes. Other side points at zebra crossings that feel like death traps during peak hours. As always, the truth sits somewhere between the bak kut teh herbs.

Here’s what gets my political antenna buzzing. Last year transport minister himself said Senior Mobility Fund helps modify silver generation homes for aging in place. Very good very responsible. But what about modifying our roads and policies for aging in motion? Suddenly not so many press releases about that.

Look across the straits to Malaysia for comparison. Their Road Transport Department makes anyone above 65 retake driving tests every three years. Thailand just brought back medical certificates for elderly drivers after nine children died in truck crashes. Even Indonesia with its legendary bureaucratic complications now requires special license endorsements for seniors.

Meanwhile in Singapore? Once you get that license renewed at 65, next check only at 70 then yearly after. But here’s the kicker. Those checks are basically keeping your eyesight between 6/12 and 6/60. No reaction tests. No cognitive assessments. Just reading letters off a chart like primary school eye screening. Serious don’t play play.

But who dare suggest stricter rules? Any politician proposing mandatory driving tests for seniors would lose silver votes faster than you can say General Elections. So we maintain this delicate balance. Cos nobody wants to be labeled ageist. Yet everybody quietly worries when their taxi uncle turns left while looking right.

Now flip the nasi lemak to the pedestrian side. How many times you’ve seen zebra crossings rendered useless by cars stopping halfway or motorbikes swerving between waiting people? Our beloved Silver Zones help but coverage still small like chili portions in economy rice. We install safety cameras that look fierce until you realize they’re basically durians without spikes take photos only, cannot deter.

The human tragedy here follows mathematics Singapore knows too well. Woman aged 68 had potentially 15 20 golden years left. Shopping at wet markets, scolding grandchildren, complaining about GST hikes. Now gone because of what investigation determined was momentary inattention a few meters from safety.

But let me tell you this. Solutions exist if we care enough to implement. Japan with its super aged society installed intelligent crosswalks that light up road surfaces when pedestrians approach. Denmark invented the raised zebra crossing that forces cars to slow down physically, no need scream at drivers like aunties at pasar malam.

Our authorities could tomorrow require silver generation license holders pass simulator tests tracking reaction times to sudden obstacles. Could enforce stricter penalties for road users ignoring zebra crossings with the same vigor applied to ERP dodgers. Could redesign pedestrian priorities not just in Silver Zones but around all HDB towns where elderly residents actually walk.

But policy shifts alone cannot fix this. There’s an ah gong in each of us that must acknowledge aging brings physical limits we dislike admitting. My own father surrendered his driving keys at 78 after nudging a motorcycle at junction. Took family intervention plus one minor accident premonition. Not easy conversation, but necessary.

So where’s the sunlight in this cloudy situation? That Singaporeans still care enough to debate it means we value our elderly beyond lip service. The ongoing Silver Zone expansions show progress, albeit slow. Most importantly, tragedies like this remind us road safety isn’t about demerit points or fines but protecting human dignity at every life stage.

Perhaps what we need isn’t another minister statement, but collective introspection. Next time we see an uncle driving extra cautiously, give courtesy wave instead of horn blast. When crossing roads with elderly relatives, hold their hands like they once held ours. Build communities where aging populations feel welcomed in movement, not just tolerated in existence.

Because sibeh clear already. With median age rising faster than COE prices, Singapore’s road safety revolution won’t come from punitive measures alone. It requires cultural shift towards realizing that helping seniors navigate streets safely isn’t charity. It’s how we ourselves wish to walk down that final zebra crossing when our own time comes.