Drivers, Take Note: The Rules Have Changed!

Singapore has updated its road traffic laws, with tougher rules aimed at distracted and impaired driving. The changes cover three key areas: Mobile device usage, drink driving and dangerous driving.

Here are what every motorists should know.

Just holding your phone can get you in trouble

Before: Drivers generally had to be caught using their phone, whether for messaging, making calls or browsing, before an offence could be made out.

Now: If you’re holding a phone or other communication device while your vehicle is in motion, that’s enough to land you in trouble - you don’t have to be actively using it! Phones secured on a proper mount for navigation are still allowed, and enforcement can now rely on video recordings and camera footage.

The drink-driving threshold is much lower

Before: The legal alcohol limit stood at 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath, or 80 mg per 100 ml of blood.

Now: Those limits have been cut to 15 micrograms per 100 ml of breath and 30 mg per 100 ml of blood. That means drivers have much less margin for error after consuming alcohol.

Dangerous driving penalties are getting tougher

Before: Dangerous driving offences already carried hefty fines, jail terms and driving bans, but there was no separate offence for motorists who deliberately used their vehicles to endanger others.

Now: The maximum jail term increases to seven years for first time offenders and 13 years for repeat offenders. The law also introduces a new offence for motorists who intentionally use their vehicles to endanger others, with penalties of up to 15 years jail alongside longer driving disqualifications.

What are netizens saying?

As expected, the new rules have drawn mixed reactions online.

Some welcomed the tougher approach, saying clearer laws and harsher penalties could make roads safer. Others felt banning drivers from holding their phone removes any grey area.

On the flip side, some commented that rather than tightening the rules for everyone, penalties should be targeted at habitual offenders. A handful stated that enforcement is the real challenge, while others questioned if similar standards should be applied to cyclists and PMD riders.

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