Mauritius’ 63 Annual Road Rage Cases Almost Double Singapore’s 36

Mauritius is grappling with an alarming road rage epidemic, with an average of 63 cases per year over the last three years, according to statistics presented in Parliament by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

Key Comparison

The figure is significantly higher than that of Singapore, a country often hailed as a model for road safety, which recorded an annual average of just 36 cases in 2021, according to an official parliamentary response there.

This disparity is particularly stark given that Mauritius has a smaller car fleet, with only 750,000 vehicles compared to Singapore’s 1.1 million.

Call for Civic Programme

Alain Jeannot of the NGO Prévention Routière A Tout Prix (PRAT) highlighted the worrying statistics and attributed the rise to an increasing tendency among Mauritians to resort to violence to settle disputes.

• Jeannot is advocating for the immediate implementation of a civic service programme starting in primary school.
• The programme would focus on instilling basic courtesy, politeness, and civility—such as being benevolent, considerate, and respectful—from a young age.
• The road safety campaigner argues that traffic density, while irritating, cannot excuse such “barbaric behaviour.”

Undercounted Cases and Deeper Roots

Jeannot pointed out that the 237 “road rage” cases officially reported since January 2022 are likely a substantial undercount, with the true number expected to be much higher.

The PRAT coordinator believes the high number of incidents is symptomatic of a deeper, ingrained culture of violence on the island.

He noted that official sources in 2008 ranked Mauritius second globally for the highest rate of violence, with about 14,000 cases reported that year.

While this figure has since fallen to approximately 9,000 cases, Jeannot maintains the country remains among those with the most pronounced violence.

Singapore’s Enforcement Model

Jeannot cited Singapore’s approach as an example of firm action, noting that the country’s road traffic laws have been significantly strengthened.

In Singapore, those involved in severe road rage incidents now risk having their driving licences suspended for life, alongside greatly increased fines.

Source: Le Mauricien