Many changes can come with moving outside the continental United States. For service members stationed in Navy Region Singapore, one major difference includes the rules of the road in the island city.

While driving on the left side of the road takes some getting used to, the driving class offered by Navy Region Center Singapore safety department assists Sailors in making the transition as easy as possible.

Active-duty service members are required to complete the driving safety course once arriving in Singapore, and an invitation to the class is extended to military spouses, DoD employees and other required personnel.

"We have a mix of personnel who take the class," said Master-at-Arms 1st Class Paul Cummings, Region Law Enforcement Officer for Navy Region Singapore. "All United States affiliated personnel, whether they be civilian or military, are required to take the course even if they don't plan on driving. It helps everyone to become aware of the rules of the road and to ensure safety both at work and out in town."

The course is separated into two parts. The first portion, Certificate of Entitlement presented by Rachel Goh, explains detailed information about buying a car while stationed in Singapore and the easiest and fastest ways are to procure a vehicle. The second is the drivers' safety portion presented by Cummings.

"Taking both parts of the course helps to get people familiar with the rules and regulations in Singapore, and it's a refresher as well for some of the old rules seasoned drivers may sometimes overlook," said Cummings. "We cover topics such as driving in inclement Singapore weather, yielding to pedestrians, the proper way to treat emergency vehicles, and many other road safety topics unique to the area."

The course, held twice a month, lasts about two hours and has a small quiz at the end on discussed topics. To find out when classes are scheduled, both the Navy Region Singapore family services and safety offices hold course date and time listings each month. Separate classes can also be scheduled with the safety office for special circumstances.

"Singapore is mostly one big city, which can make it difficult to drive in," Cummings said. "Some of the road signs have different meanings and some are completely unique to Singapore. It's important that anyone who is going to be driving here is aware of these changes and feels comfortable before heading out on the road."

Class times vary each month based on scheduled events and operational requirements. For more information on either the COE or drivers safety courses, contact Navy Region Center Singapore safety department or family services office.

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