Penalties for dangerous driving adequate, will not be increased for now: MHA

SINGAPORE – Penalties under the Road Traffic Act (RTA) currently are adequate to deter dangerous driving, and will not be increased for now, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim on Tuesday (May 7).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had last raised penalties significantly in 2019, he said in parliament in response to questions from various MPs .

“What the laws provide today are already quite stiff. We do regularly review different aspects of the framework. In this context, we have been studying the adequacy of composition amounts and the demerit points framework,” he said.

MPs had raised questions about the road safety landscape in Singapore, after an accident in Tampines last month which killed two people, including a 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student.

Assoc Prof Faishal noted that the accident shocked and angered many Singaporeans. “I am sure I speak for all of us in saying we were all deeply saddened as well.”

PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT

Several MPs, including the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport Saktiandi Supaat, had asked if there was a need to review existing penalties under the RTA.

Currently, for an offence of dangerous driving causing death, a first-time offender can be jailed for two to eight years, while a repeat offender could face up to 15 years in jail, said Assoc Prof Faishal.

An offender could also additionally be disqualified from driving for a minimum of 10 years, starting only from the time that he or she is released from prison, he added.

“Thus a first offender in a serious case could be jailed for a maximum of eight years and not drive for 18 years,” explained Assoc Prof Faishal.

He said that since last month, the Traffic Police (TP) has progressively activated the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras across the island, especially at more accident-prone or violation-prone locations.

More than 800 speeding violations have been detected by these cameras in the three weeks since they were activated. 

“Whilst enforcement cameras are useful for deterrence, it is not feasible to install them at all traffic junctions and zebra crossings, given terrain limitations and other constraints,” he said.

In the last six weeks, the TP has also intensified ad-hoc enforcement, detecting close to 1,400 violations and arresting 29 motorists for traffic-related and other offences.

In response to a question by MP Tin Pei Ling (PAP-MacPherson) on simplifying the reporting of traffic violations by the public, Assoc Prof Faishal said violations can be reported online via the Police’s E-Services or Police@SG app, with supporting evidence such as video footage.

He also reassured the House that TP has been taking enforcement action based on such evidence.

IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY

Singapore’s roads have become safer, said Assoc Prof Faishal.

The number of accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities has fallen by about 10 per cent in the last five years, from 7,822 in 2019 to 7,075 in 2023, he shared.

However, the number of accidents resulting in fatalities has increased by about 12 per cent, from 117 in 2019 to 131 in 2023, he noted.

“There were 71 fatal accidents in the first half of 2023, and 60 in the second half of the year,” said Assoc Prof Faishal.

He shared that the top causes of the fatal accidents between 2019 and 2023 were failure to keep a proper lookout and to have proper control of one’s vehicle.

An average of three fatal accidents per year – or about 2.4 per cent annually – were investigated under the offence of reckless or dangerous driving causing death, while an average of 29 fatal accidents each year – about 27 per cent annually – were speeding-related.

He also emphasised efforts to improve road safety in Singapore and incentivise safe driving behaviour here.

For instance, eligible motorists may attend the Safe Driving Course, and have four demerit points expunged from their record upon completion.

“The course aims to re-educate and correct the poor driving behaviours of motorists who have accumulated a significant number of demerit points,” said Assoc Prof Faishal.

Education and engagement efforts have also been ramped up, with TP working alongside partners and stakeholders, such as the Singapore Road Safety Council, SBS Transit and Grab, to organise events and campaigns to promote road safety, he noted.

TP will also be publishing a series of road safety videos in the second half of this year, he added.

Assoc Prof Faishal added that TP works closely with the Land Transport Authority to modify or improve road infrastructure and enhance safety.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS FROM MPS

Responding to MP Joan Pereira’s (PAP-Tanjong Pagar) question on requiring drivers to attend periodic refresher courses, Assoc Prof Faishal said such courses are optional and cater to drivers who have not driven for several years. 

“We do not think it is useful to mandate the refresher course for all motorists. Only a minority of motorists are involved in accidents,” he said.

He explained that the “very large majority” stay offence-free for many years, if not the entire period of their driving history. Most accidents happen because of poor road behaviour, rather than inexperience, he said.

Ms Pereira also asked if speed limiters should be mandated on all vehicles.

“We have to balance the benefits with the costs. For now, we assess that it would suffice to mandate the installation of speed limiters for lorries,” said Assoc Prof Faishal, adding that the initiative is ongoing and will be completed by June 2027.

He added that families of accident victims are referred to Social Service Offices or Family Service Centres, depending on their circumstances and support needed.

Those requiring mental health support are referred to mental health helplines and counselling services, run by trained professionals or the Institute of Mental Health, he said in response to a question from MP Patrick Tay (PAP-Pioneer).

“The government is strongly committed to doing all we can to keep our roads safe. However, I would like to re-emphasise that we cannot succeed alone. Road safety is necessarily a shared responsibility, and we urge all road users to play their part,” he said. CNA