Singapore moves to tighten penalties for drink driving, drug driving and mobile phone use while driving

SINGAPORE: In Parliament on Tuesday (July 7), Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann introduced the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, which brings more and stricter penalties for individuals who commit driving offences.

The Bill zeroes in on four areas: drink driving, drug driving, holding phones while driving, and tougher penalties for the most serious driving offences.

For dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, the government is saying that current penalties no longer reflect the devastating consequences of serious injuries such as permanent brain damage or a lifelong disability.

At present, a first offence may result in a maximum of five years’ jail, and for a repeat offence, this goes up to 10 years. Under the Bill, this could be extended to seven years for first offenders, and 13 years for repeat offenders.

The Bill also proposes lowering the legal alcohol thresholds, as the MHA says this would serve as a stronger deterrent since drinking and driving is a deliberate choice that places other road users at risk.

Perhaps the biggest change for everyday drivers is the proposal for those who hold phones while they’re driving. While at present, Traffic Police have to prove that a driver was using a mobile phone while driving, under the proposed law, a driver simply holding the phone, tablet, or smart watch while in a moving vehicle will have committed an offence. 

However, drivers who use properly mounted devices for hands-free calls or navigation will continue to be allowed to do so.

Finally, under the Bill, the legal framework for prosecuting drivers impaired by drugs is simpler, which makes enforcement clearer and more effective while aligning the legislation with current enforcement practices.

The Bill may be read in full here. If it passes, which it is likely to do, it will mean that Singapore will be one of the strictest jurisdictions for driving. What sets the city-state’s approach is that it explicitly recognises that permanent, life-changing injuries can warrant penalties approaching those for causing death. /TISG

Read also: If Singapore is so safe, why are there so many traffic accidents?