THEY are charged with maintaining law and order on Singapore's roads.
So it will come as a surprise to many that the Traffic Police are the main sponsors for next month's pro-am drift contest - an activity many associate with young daredevils.
Drifting is not all bad, says Deputy Superintendent of Police Soh Wan Khuan, referring to a sport in which the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction through turns.
'If done in a controlled environment where the drivers are fully aware of the rules and regulations governing their safety, drifting can be a safe but exciting sport,' he said.
Video games like Need For Speed and movies such as The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift have helped popularise drifting, especially among younger drivers.
This is exactly the group the Traffic Police hope to reach out to with the launch of this year's Road Safety Outreach programme at the Formula Drift Pro-Am Series event on July 4 and 5.
In 2006, according to the Traffic Police, 250 of the 1,283 drivers injured in accidents - or more than one in five - were under 30. And of the 29 fatal accidents that year, nine - or more than one in three - were under 30.
The whole idea behind the sponsorship is to get the road safety message out effectively, DSP Soh said at yesterday's launch at Hotel Re! at Pearl's Hill.
The drift event is a perfect occasion for maximising media exposure, he added, although the buzz generated by the Singapore Grand Prix last year was another factor.
The extreme motorsport of drifting debuted here last year and attracted around 11,000 fans to the race course at the Changi Exhibition Centre. It will be held at the same venue next month.
However, organisers have reduced the number of available tickets to 4,000.
This is to allow spectators to get closer to the action on a smaller course with fewer drivers, compared to the previous event.
Last year's contest featured 38 drivers, including top professionals such as New Zealand's Mike Whiddet and eventual winner Ryuji Miki of Japan. This year's event will feature 28 drivers from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Among them is Mr Ivan Lim, the Republic's top performer last year when he qualified in 10th place.
Said the 27-year-old, who has been drifting since 2005: 'It was a fantastic experience, and I am hoping to do better this time around, especially with the exposure I have received.'
He recently gained a professional licence for America's Formula Drift Series - the sport's top-tier of competition - and made his debut at the Irwindale Speedway in Los Angeles last November.
Last year's organiser and local tyre distributor Binter & Co - which paid $750,000 to stage the contest - has returned as the event's technical consultant.
General manager Marcus Lim said: 'We are all excited that the event is returning, despite the troubled economy. It shows that drifting has a large following in Singapore and can be a success.'
