Thursday 30 November 2017

Critical Reflection

Over the many few weeks in this module, I have learned so much about communications. I have learned to write better in terms of emailing my professors, writing a critical and informative essay, quote effectively in APA style, writing a detailed report and lastly, to put myself out of my comfort zone to give a presentation to a small class. 

Looking back at the first blog entry that I wrote to my professor in a form of an email, I wrote that I want to improve my speaking and interview skills as they are important in the workforce. After 12 weeks, I am confident to say this module has definitely helped me in the skills I sought to improve. I have learned to become a much more confident speaker through the many impromptu mini-presentations and final presentation assignment we have in class. The useful feedbacks I have gotten back has helped me to identify the areas I lacked in and point me in the direction to work towards to. For example, I am not fluent in my presentation skills as I do most of the work by memorising. This caused my presentation to sound unnatural and it can be obvious that the audience knows that I  have memorised it. Even though it is a good effort to memorise my script without any cue cards, it is not the best choice to gain and hold the attention of my audience. Therefore, what I could do from now on is that I will stop memorising my script. Instead, I will make it more engaging by practising it with different audiences such as my friends and families. Through this many practices, I will be able to gain feedbacks and also be fluent in a more natural way in my presentation. 

Through this module, I have identified the areas I am lacking. One of which is to learn how to captivate my audience during the presentation. I learned the importance of engaging my audiences and it is something that is easy to do. Definitely, it is not something that anyone can acquire overnight and it requires experience and constant experimenting because the audience is always changing. I have learned that audience analysis is important as it involves identifying the audience and adapting a speech to their interests, level of understanding, attitudes, and beliefs. Taking an audience-centred approach is important because a speaker's effectiveness will be improved if the presentation is created and delivered in an appropriate manner. I have learned to not shy away from opportunities when it comes to voicing out my opinion and presenting my ideas to my peers, as I consider these common day-to-day practices that can impact and improve my speaking skills. Ultimately, the presentation is not an easy task and requires effort to be better at it.

Read and reacted to:

1) Jun Peng
2) Cheron
3) Jerome 

Analytical Reflection on Oral Presentation

This is an analytical reflection on my mock oral presentation and actual presentation which I did on the 13th and 20th November 2017 respectively.  

After my first mock oral presentation, I received many useful feedbacks from both my classmates and professor. The first feedback I got was that my presentation's introduction was too lengthy. I realised it was true as I started to lose my audience's attention after a good 5 minutes into the presentation. The mistake was that I made a bad choice to churn many numbers from the statistics I have gotten from my report, which highly probably did not make any sense to my audience. So one thing that I have learned was that a presentation is not a report. A report has to be clear and concise into the details of numbers and pictures. However, during a presentation, it is more important to be engaging and allow the audience to get as much easily digestible information out of the presentation that I give. So it is important not to bore your audience and to be brief. This can be done by adding humour to the presentation or by telling a simple and engaging story. 

Because of the boring statistics that I chose to remember, I had difficulties trying to recall the remaining content of my presentation. This resulted in many awkward pauses which can be prevented if I have planned the approach to my presentation differently. For example, I could have kept my introduction to the minimal and not bore my audience with statistics. 

My mock presentation was not all bad. I received compliments that I am good at projecting my voice and articulating my words accurately to my audience. I was told that I made ample eye contact with my audience which was a plus point. To be honest, I feel that my preparation was not enough for the actual presentation. Through this mock presentation, I got to witness many different types of presentation and the characteristics my classmates have shown. To better prepare myself for the upcoming presentation, better changes were made through this experiences I have gained in class.

During my actual presentation, I was told by my professor that I had made a great choice by standing on the other side of the screen, as it divided me from my teammates who were not presenting at that moment. It was a great approach because other teams did not do so. I felt really satisfied when I heard it. Our classmates were tasked to grade us and gave us comments accordingly in Google drive and these were the comments that I received from both my classmates and professor. Despite my effort to add in humour, it unfortunately fell flat as I failed to make a proper linkage back to my presentation. Even though it was good to try new things, I should have experimented it during the mock presentation instead. Nevertheless, this presentation was a good learning experience for me. I was also told that the background information and graph was not sufficient as it did not effectively deliver the message that I wanted to give. This was due to the missing information that could benefit the understanding of my audience. For example, there should be more of a focus in the information that I presented instead of planting the whole graph into it.

Lastly, this is something that I have discovered myself. I realised that the chemistry of my team could be stronger, as our presentation felt really divided. Even though it is hard to be fluent in a team for a presentation, due to different presentation styles and opinion, I thought that we could work better if we had done something more about our presentation together as a team during practices. For example, recording our presentation, listening it together and be our own judges and improve together as a team. Nevertheless, this was definitely a great and fruitful learning experiences!

Read and reacted to:
1) Xue Le
2) Cheron
3) Jerome

Saturday 25 November 2017

Reader's Response (Further Improvements)

Further improvements have been made in this reader's response to enable a better learning experience throughout this course and blog. Some changes I have made are a few grammatical errors and the APA style.

In the article "Floor lights help ‘smartphone zombies’ keep eye on the road", Tan (2017) reported that the newly installed LED strips at crossing junctions could help smartphone addicts stay alert on the road. It described that the LED strips, visible in the day, flash the prominent red and green of a traffic light. The article stated that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) implemented this half year-pilot program at two of the popular vicinities in Singapore due to its heavy human traffics. The program would allow the authority to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of the LED strips before implementing them on other crossings. In the article, statistics from Traffic Police showed a rise in pedestrian-related accidents, where a substantial amount is comprised of the elderly. While the LED strips enhance road safety awareness for 'smartphone zombies', they do not help minimize the rise in pedestrian-related accidents amongst the elderly.

To understand the reasons behind the rise in pedestrian-related accidents, there is a need to examine the traffic report in Singapore. In 2016, the Singapore Police Force reported in the "Annual Road Traffic Situation 2016" news release, a decrease in pedestrian-related deaths between 2015 and 2016. However, there has been a 19.6 percent increase in pedestrian-related deaths amongst the elderly population. In which, 16 out of 28 elderly deaths are attributed to jaywalking. In the span of a year, accidents involving elderly who jaywalk have climbed from 57 to 81 cases. Although the news release highlighted the elderly as the primary reason for such rise, it does not mention smartphone addicts. Therefore, efforts should be directed towards the persistent rise in jaywalkers rather than placing 'smartphone zombies' in the spotlight.

Although LED strips provide pedestrians with an additional signal to cross the road, they do not deter the elderly from jaywalking. In the article “Elderly man killed by bus outside interchange” Lee (2017) reported that an elderly man was knocked down by a bus outside the traffic crossing at Toa Payoh bus depot. It was believed that the elderly man ignored traffic light signals while crossing the road. Interviews conducted at the bus depot revealed that the inconvenience of having to cross two junctions before reaching the train station encouraged pedestrians to jaywalk to save time. In another Straits Times article, “Jaywalking accidents up by 21% in the first half of year, 30% involving elderly pedestrians”, Seow (2017) interviewed Mr Sim, a 67-year-old dishwasher about why he chose to jaywalk and risk his safety when there was a crossing nearby. Mr Sim replied it was “more convenient” to jaywalk. Therefore, instead of implementing LED stripes to improve pedestrians’ road safety awareness, the focus should shift to promoting personal responsibility for one’s safety to reduce the numbers of pedestrian-related accidents. 

While the implementation of LED stripes acts as a measure to enhancing road safety awareness for ‘smartphone zombies’, it does not solve the rise in pedestrian-related accidents amongst the elderly. Instead, the LTA should come up with solutions to prevent the public from jaywalking, which would reduce pedestrian-related accidents. 


References

Lee, M K (2017). Elderly man killed by bus outside interchange. The Straits TimesRetrieved, Retrieved October 9, 2017, from

Seow, B Y (2017). Jaywalking accidents up 21% in first half of year, 30% involving elderly pedestrians. The Straits Times. Retrieved October 13, 2017, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/jaywalking-accidents-up-21-in-first-half-of-year-30-involving-elderly-pedestrians

Singapore Police Force (2016). Annual Road Traffic Situation 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from

Tan, C (2017). Floor lights help 'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road. The Straits Times. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from

Last edited on 25 November 2017

Friday 24 November 2017

Technical Report Draft 2

Some improvements that I have to make in this draft 2 are the correction of simple grammar mistakes from draft 1 and the addition of missing information that benefits the reader. For my part, I will be revising on the Introduction part of the technical report. 

Introduction

On average, Low (2012) quoted that about one in four elderly above the age of 65 in Singapore will suffer a fall. Of those who fell, two-thirds had a single fall and one-third had recurrent falls. Khalik (2015) also reported that close to 100 elderly were admitted to hospital every month because of an injury from a fall. Sollitto (2017) further explains the reasons why elderly are more prone to falling or slipping. Namely their decline in physical fitness, the effects of medication, impaired vision and chronic diseases.  

With the heightened risks of falling, there should be more precautions in ensuring the well-being of elderly, especially elderly living alone. With no one present to look after them, the emergency alert system would do well to assist them in getting outside help, in an event of a fall.

 Figure 1: Crude rate unintentional falls based on age group

                                          2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Table 2: Resident Households by Age Group of Head and Household Living Arrangement, Year 2010 to 2015

Elderly living alone has increased in the thousands from 27.9 to 41.2 in 2010 to 2015. This increase is close to 50%. The results in both figure X and Y are alarming and dangerous, and we can conclude that the factors related to the risks of elderly injury are increasing exponentially. With more elderly staying alone over the years, the peril of fatal injuries involving them increases directly, as the number of elderly exposed to the risk rises. 

However, the majority of senior citizens in Singapore who are at risk, do not own an emergency alert device. It will thus result in higher risks of fatal injuries or even death. An emergency alert system that allows elderly to call for aid is extremely vital, and could very possibly be the piece of equipment that could save their lives.

Problem statement

An emergency alert device should be implemented for the elderly to ensure that they are safe in the case of an actual medical emergency. The majority of the elderly who spend most of their time at home alone does not have any form of an emergency alert system. Without it, the elderly will continue to be at risk of not getting emergency attention or help in times of desperate need. An emergency alert device sends distress signals to their caregivers or nearby hospitals when the device detects a fall, or if the signal is sent directly from the elderly. This will allow the elderly to receive medical attention promptly.

Purpose statement

The purpose of this proposal is to describe the different types of emergency alert systems in the market and promote the optimal system. The selected alert system will be recommended to Ministry of Social and Family Development, and propose a trial to test the feasibility of the selected product. Thus, the proposal is submitted in hopes of it being sold or distributed to elderly or their family in need.  

Proposed solution

The proposed solution is to recommend a wearable emergency alert device for senior citizens who spend most of their time alone at home. This is to ensure that they are always equipped with the device to receive assistance from caregivers when emergencies occur. Caregivers can range from family members, trained professionals to volunteers.

Considerations and selection
The optimal emergency alert system should consist of the following five criteria:

  • Fall detection
It will automatically contact their respective caregivers when any fall or slippage is detected. This function is vital, as seniors may become unconscious or physically incapable of pressing the button to alert their caregivers. The detection utilises the accelerometer and gyroscope to identify a fall more accurately.

  • Emergency button
The emergency button becomes handy when seniors require help apart from falls. Examples could include other emergencies such as fire hazard or being generally unwell.

  • Global Positioning System (GPS)
GPS is essential, as it allows caregivers to easily and efficiently locate the whereabouts of the elder in times of medical emergency.

  • Long battery life
Long battery life is extremely favourable, simple because elderly may forget to charge their device from time to time. A longer battery life meant that they are protected for a prolonged amount of time, without new charges.

  • Water resistance
A large number of falls occur in the bathroom, where it is often wet and slippery. Thus, it is advisable for the device to be water resistant, as it would be unfortunate for it to malfunction in times of need.

Upon evaluating and weighing the functions and features, the emergency alert device that Eldervists have selected is the iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device from OMG Solutions Pte Ltd which costs SGD $390. Refer to Appendix A and B for its specifications and dimensions.

Figure Z. iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device

Benefits of Proposed Solution
Apart from the four functions and features that were mentioned above, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device possesses greater advantages, that could benefit the user.

iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device has an additional feature, named fall detection. It will automatically contact their respective caregivers when any fall or slippage is detected. This function is vital, as seniors may become unconscious or physically incapable of pressing the button to alert their caregivers. The detection utilises the accelerometer and gyroscope to identify a fall more accurately. Furthermore, it contains an in-built motionless detection, to sense any abnormality when no movement is detected for a set amount of time.

On top of that, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device provides a two-way communication through calls and text messages to up to five personnel with a press of the button. This allows the elder to be able to instantly voice their troubles in times of need, without the use of another device.

Lastly, the device is also linked onto mobiles devices through the application, DS Tracker, to allow family members or caregivers to know and track the whereabouts of the elderly, to effectively identify the location of the elder in an emergency. (Refer to Appendix C)

Limitations of Proposed Solution
Despite the long battery life, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device still has to be charged every 2 to 3 days. Elderly could forget about the device after charging it, which may put them at risk once again. Furthermore, because of the miniature size of the device, senior citizens may risk losing it.

iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device operates using a prepaid card or postpaid plan, which requires regular topping up when the amount runs low. Thus, caregivers will have to constantly check the available amount to ensure the device still has enough value to be used properly.

Implementation

To evaluate the effectiveness of the selected alert device, there will be a trial programme. 25 elderly would be selected to participate in the trial, where they will be equipped with the alert device for a month. There will be an assessment once every 2 weeks to collect various feedbacks to determine the reliability of the selected alert device.

Figure (Please refer to Appendix D) shows and describes the time span of the entire trial programme, and the necessary actions to be taken.

Alternative solution

An alternative solution would be a wireless motion sensor which will be able to monitor senior citizens in real time and provide a timely alert. Eldervists have chosen the Smart Activity Monitoring Service (SAMS) by M1 which will cost SGD $214 with a monthly subscription of SGD $14.66. SAMS works by monitoring the elder’s daily activities at home by using motion sensor detection and alerts the caregiver through text messages. SAMS consists of four main devices: wireless door sensor, wireless motion sensor, wireless portable panic button, and iNet mini smart hub. (Refer to Appendix E)
Figure X. Operation of Smart Activity Monitoring Service (SAMS)



Benefits of Alternative Solution

The elder’s activity at home is monitored with wireless motion sensor and wireless door sensor. Caregivers will be notified if the elderly are out of the house, or have been inactive for a long time as there could be a possibility of an emergency that requires immediate attention. Footages of the elder’s activities around the house are also recorded, to allow caregivers or families to identify any oddities present in the apartment.

Similar to iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device, it has an in-built emergency button, that allows a quick response from caregivers in an event of an emergency.



Limitations of Alternative Solution

A household will require more than one wireless motion sensor as there are many rooms such as the kitchen or toilet, which may end up becoming costly. Furthermore, because of the post-paid nature of the plan that costs a monthly subscription of $14.66,  the cost will continue to be incurred and in the long run, may become too expensive. 

SAMS requires an internet connection to function. Hence, when the internet connection is down, the elderly will be unable to alert the caregivers when emergencies occur. Regular maintenance has to be conducted as well to keep the system in good working condition. 

Methodology

Two different methods of research, primary and secondary, were conducted, to allow our team to have a better understanding of the matter.

Primary Research

Interviews with elderly were conducted for us to have a clearer understanding of the problem. Interviews are highly effective because our team got to interact directly with elderly who are facing the problems themselves. The information from the interview was thus very insightful.

Copy of the questionnaire (see Appendix F) and sample interviews (see Appendix F to H) can be found in the appendix.  

Secondary Research

Secondary research was conducted to obtain essential information required for us to efficiently prepare for and complete the proposal. The information gathered allowed us to identify the problem, come up with plausible solutions, judge the current situation with statistics and more.

Web links to the research materials can be found under “References”, and certain tables and figures
can be found in “Appendix”.

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Technical Report Draft 1

Introduction


On average, Low (2012) quoted that about one in four elderly above the age of 65 in Singapore will suffer a fall. Of those who fell, two-thirds had a single fall and one-third had recurrent falls. Khalik (2015) also reported that close to 100 elderly were admitted to hospital every month because of an injury from a fall. Sollitto (2017) further explains the reasons why elderly are more prone to falling or slipping. Namely their decline in physical fitness, the effects of medication, impaired vision and chronic diseases.


With the heightened risks of falling, there should be more precautions in ensuring the wellbeing of elderly, especially elderly living alone. With no one present to look after them, the emergency alert system would do well to keep them safe, in an event of a fall.


 Figure 1: Crude rate unintentional falls based on age group
                                         
Table 2: Resident Households by Age Group of Head and Household Living Arrangement, Year 2010 to 2015


The results of both figure X and Y are alarming and dangerous, and we can conclude that the factors related to the risks of elderly injury are increasing exponentially. With more elderly staying alone over the years, the peril of fatal injuries involving elderly increases directly, as the number of elderly exposed to the risk rises.


However, majority of senior citizens in Singapore whom are at risk, do not own the product. It will thus result in higher risks of fatal injuries, or even death. An emergency alert system that allows elderly to call for aid is extremely vital, and could very possibly be the one equipment that could save their lives.

Problem statement


An emergency alert device should be implemented for the elderly to ensure that they are safe in the case of an actual medical emergency. The majority of the elderly who spend most of their time at home alone do not have any form of emergency alert system. Without it, the elderly will continue to be at risk of not getting emergency attention or help in times of desperate need. An emergency alert device sends distress signals to their caregivers or nearby hospitals when the device detects a fall, or if the signal is sent directly from the elderly. This will allow the elderly to receive medical attention promptly.


Purpose statement


The purpose of this proposal is to explore the different types of emergency alert systems in the market and select the optimal system. The selected alert system will be recommended to Ministry of Social and Family Development, in hopes of it being sold or distributed to elderly or their family in need.


The proposal thus wishes that the product becomes more popular and widely used throughout households with senior citizens  in Singapore, to minimise the rate of fatal accidents occurring in households when the elderly are alone in the house.

Proposed solution


The proposed solution is to recommend a wearable emergency alert device for senior citizens who spend most of their time alone at home. This is to ensure that they are always equipped with the device to receive assistance from caregivers when emergencies occur. Caregivers can range from family members, trained professionals to volunteers.


Considerations and selection
The optimal emergency alert system should consist of the following five criteria:


  • Fall detection
It will automatically contact their respective caregivers when any fall or slippage is detected. This function is vital, as seniors may become unconscious or physically incapable of pressing the button to alert their caregivers. The detection utilises the accelerometer and gyroscope to identify a fall more accurately.


  • Emergency button
The emergency button becomes handy, when seniors require help apart from falls. Examples could include other emergencies such as fire hazard or being generally unwell.


  • Global Positioning System (GPS)
GPS is essential, as it allows caregivers to easily and efficiently locate the whereabouts of the elder in times of medical emergency.


  • Long battery life
Long battery life is extremely favourable, simple because elderly may forget to charge their device from time to time. A longer battery life meant that they are protected for a prolonged amount of time, without new charges.


  • water resistance
Large number of falls occur in the bathroom, where it is often wet and slippery. Thus, it is advisable for the the device to be water resistant, as it would be unfortunate for it to malfunction in times of need.


Upon evaluating and weighing the functions and features, the emergency alert device that Eldervists have selected is the iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device from OMG Solutions Pte Ltd which costs SGD $390. Refer to Appendix A and B for its specifications and dimensions.


Figure Z. iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device


Benefits of Proposed Solution


Apart from the four functions and features that were mentioned above, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device possess even more advantages, that could benefit the user.


iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device has an additional feature, named fall detection. It will automatically contact their respective caregivers when any fall or slippage is detected. This function is vital, as seniors may become unconscious or physically incapable of pressing the button to alert their caregivers. The detection utilises the accelerometer and gyroscope to identify a fall more accurately. Furthermore, it contains an in-built motionless detection, to sense any abnormality when no movement is detected for a set amount of time.


On top of that, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device provides a two-way communication through calls and text messages to up to five personnel with a press of the button. This allow the elder to be able to instantly voice their troubles in times of need, without the use of another device.


Lastly, the device is also linked onto mobiles devices through the application, DS Tracker, to allow family members or caregivers to know and track the whereabouts of the elderly, to effectively identify the location of the elder in an emergency. (Refer to Appendix C)


Limitations of Proposed Solution
Despite the long battery life, iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device still has to be charged every 2 to 3 days. Elderly could forget about the device after charging it, which may put them at risk once again. Furthermore, because of the miniature size of the device, senior citizens may risk losing it.


iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device operates using prepaid card or postpaid plan, which requires regular topping up when the amount runs low. Thus, caregivers will have to constantly check the available amount to ensure the device is still has enough value to be used properly.


Implementation

To evaluate the effectiveness of the selected alert device, there will be a trial programme. 25 elderly would be selected to participate in the trial, where they will be equipped with the alert device for for a month. There will be an assessment once every 2 weeks to collect various feedbacks to determine  the reliability of the selected alert device.


Figure (Please refer to Appendix D) shows and describes the time span of the entire trial programme, and the necessary actions to be taken.

Alternative solution


An alternative solution would be a wireless motion sensor which will be able to monitor senior citizens in real time and provide timely alert. Eldervists have chosen the Smart Activity Monitoring Service (SAMS) by M1 which will cost SGD $214 with a monthly subscriptions of SGD $14.66. SAMS works by monitoring the elder’s daily activities at home by using motion sensor detection and alerts the caregiver through text messages. SAMS consists of four main devices: wireless door sensor, wireless motion sensor, wireless portable panic button, and iNet mini smarthub. (Refer to Appendix E)
Figure X. Operation of Smart Activity Monitoring Service (SAMS)


Benefits of Alternative Solution

The elder’s activity at home is monitored with wireless motion sensor and wireless door sensor.  Caregivers will be notified if the elderly is out of the house, or have been inactive for a long time as there could be a possibility of an emergency that requires immediate attention. Footages of the elder’s activities around the house are also recorded, to allow caregivers or families to identify any oddities present in the apartment.

Similar to iHelp Adult GPS Tracker Device, it has an in-built emergency button, that allows quick response from caregivers in an event of an emergency.



Limitations of Alternative Solution

A household will require more than one wireless motion sensor as there are many rooms such as the kitchen or toilet, which may end up becoming costly. Furthermore, because of the post-paid nature of the plan that costs a monthly subscription of $14.66,  the cost will continue to be incurred and in the long run, may become too expensive.


SAMS requires an internet connection to function. Hence, when the internet connection is down, the elderly will be unable to alert the caregivers when emergencies occur. Regular maintenance have to be conducted as well to keep the system in good working condition.
Methodology


Two different methods of research, primary and secondary, were conducted, to allow our team to have a better understanding on the matter.

Primary Research

Interviews with elderly were conducted for us to have a clearer understanding of the problem. Interviews are highly effective because our team got to interact directly with elderly who are facing the problems themselves. The information from the interview were thus very insightful.


Copy of the questionnaire (see Appendix F) and sample interviews (see Appendix F to H) can be found in the appendix.  

Secondary Research

Secondary research were conducted to obtain essential information required for us to efficiently prepare for and complete the proposal. The information gathered allowed us to identify the problem, come up with plausible solutions, judge the current situation with statistics and more.


Web links of the research materials can be found under “References”, and certain tables and figures can be found in “Appendix”.

Friday 13 October 2017

Reader Response Final Draft


In the article "Floor lights help ‘smartphone zombies’ keep eye on the road", Tan (2017) reported that the newly installed LED strips at crossing junctions could help smartphone addicts stay alert on the road. It described that the LED strips, visible in the day, flash the prominent red and green of a traffic light. The article stated that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) implemented this half year-pilot program at two of the popular vicinities in Singapore due to its heavy human traffics. The program would allow the authority to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of the LED strips before implementing them on other crossings. In the article, statistics from Traffic Police showed a rise in pedestrian-related accidents, where a substantial amount is comprised of the elderly. While the LED strips enhance road safety awareness for 'smartphone zombies', they do not help minimize the rise in pedestrian-related accidents amongst the elderly.

To understand the reasons behind the rise in pedestrian-related accidents, there is a need to examine the traffic report in Singapore. In 2016, the Singapore Police Force reported in the "Annual Road Traffic Situation 2016" news release, a decrease in pedestrian-related deaths between 2015 and 2016. However, there has been a 19.6 percent increase in pedestrian-related deaths amongst the elderly population. In which, 16 out of 28 elderly deaths are attributed to jaywalking. In the span of a year, accidents involving elderly who jaywalk have climbed from 57 to 81 cases. Although the news release highlighted the elderly as the primary reason for such rise, it does not mention smartphone addicts. Therefore, efforts should be directed towards the persistent rise in jaywalkers rather than placing 'smartphone zombies' in the spotlight.
 
Although LED strips provide pedestrians with an additional signal to cross the road, they do not deter the elderly from jaywalking. In the article “Elderly man killed by bus outside interchange” Lee (2017) reported that an elderly man was knocked down by a bus outside the traffic crossing at Toa Payoh bus depot. It was believed that the elderly man ignored traffic light signals while crossing the road. Interviews conducted at the bus depot revealed that the inconvenience of having to cross two junctions before reaching the train station encouraged pedestrians to jaywalk to save time. In another Straits Times article, “Jaywalking accidents up by 21% in the first half of year, 30% involving elderly pedestrians”, Seow (2017) interviewed Mr Sim, a 67-year-old dishwasher about why he chose to jaywalk and risk his safety when there was a crossing nearby. Mr Sim replied it was “more convenient” to jaywalk. Therefore, instead of implementing LED stripes to improve pedestrians’ road safety awareness, the focus should shift to promoting personal responsibility for one’s safety to reduce the numbers of pedestrian-related accidents. 
 
While the implementation of LED stripes acts as a measure to enhancing road safety awareness for ‘smartphone zombies’, it does not solve the rise in pedestrian-related accidents amongst the elderly. Instead, the LTA should come up with solutions to prevent the public from jaywalking, which would reduce pedestrian-related accidents. 
 
References
Lee, M K (2017). Elderly man killed by bus outside interchange. The Straits TimesRetrieved, October 9, 2017, from

Seow, B Y (2017). Jaywalking accidents up 21% in first half of year, 30% involving elderly pedestrians. The Straits Times. Retrieved, October 13, 2017 from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/jaywalking-accidents-up-21-in-first-half-of-year-30-involving-elderly-pedestrians
 
Singapore Police Force (2016). Annual Road Traffic Situation 2016. Retrieved, September 26, 2017, from

Tan, C (2017). Floor lights help 'smartphone zombies' keep eye on the road. The Straits Times. Retrieved, September 20, 2016, from

Last edited on 13 October 2017