There were about 2,300 motorists arrested for drunk driving in the first three quarters of 2013. This is 9% higher compared to the same period in 2012. This has caused the State for Home Affairs to strengthen their reminder to the public that drinking and driving is a deadly combination. With this, the agency launched the STCars Anti-Drive Campaign.

The campaign amended guidelines in regards to drunk driving and its legal punishments. For first time offenders, they can face one year of being barred from driving, plus a maximum of S$5000 fine and 6 months of jail time. For repeat offenders, they will pay a maximum of S$30000 and compulsory three years of jail time. Drinking can affect:

• Vision – Alcohol can affect your vision. Drunken people often convey that they experience visual impairment especially blurred vision.
• Coordination – Drinking too much can affect your overall coordination. You will experience decreased foot, hand and eye coordination.
• Concentration – Alcohol can affect your concentration. When you drink too much, you will surely feel too drowsy and tired. You will bump into something or someone when this happens.
• Comprehension – Drinking too much can hamper your decision making. You will notice that your ability to create logical decisions deteriorates.
• Reflexes – You should know that alcohol can slow down your impulses or reflexes. Your ability to react quickly to varying situations will be affected when you drink too much.
• Judgment – When you have too much to drink, you will notice that your ability to judge will decrease. For example, you will not discern which line to follow, the position of your vehicle, and you will not heed road signs.

On December 1, 2013, a woman was robbed in her car at Geylang Bahru area. The male suspect used a penknife to threaten the woman. He got her credit cards, ATM cards, cash, wrist watch and Smartphone. The good news is that the man was arrested on December 4, 2013. The police retrieved some of the properties of the women like her cards, portion of the cash and the wrist watch.

Robbers eye women because they believe that they will not fight back and they will simply yield. But robbery can be avoided if you practice safety precautions. For example, when you are walking at night, always go for well lighted streets. It would be better to travel with a companion. When you are driving at night, you have to avoid hitchhikers.

Those are just things that you can do to avoid a robbery but what if you are confronted? Here are the things that you can do when confronted by a robber:

1. Do not resist. When you are asked to give everything you have, do not resist it because you might get hurt. You should cooperate and give what is asked of you. Remember that your life is more valuable.
2. Never challenge the robber. If the robber claims that he/she has a weapon concealed somewhere, do not challenge him/her. Do not think that he/she is bluffing.
3. Do not try to apprehend the criminal. It is good to rise above any situation but in this case, just stay put and never apprehend the criminal. Do not try to be a hero because you might hurt yourself and the people around you.
4. Notify the police. Let the police do their work. You should notify the police of the robbery immediately. If you clearly saw the face of the robber, describe it to the officers and they will do the rest.

Hopefully you will not be a victim of robbery but if you will be, you can rely on the things mentioned above.