Tackling Dangerous Driving With Road Traffic Rule Updates

• Lowering prescribed alcohol limits.  

• Harsher penalties for dangerous driving.  

• Fines and demerit points for drivers on their mobile phones.  

These are just some of the changes the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are seeking to curb the rise in traffic fatalities and violations. In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into proposed changes to road traffic laws you should know about. 

Is Singapore road safety on the decline?  

 According to the annual road traffic statistics released by the Traffic Police, our roads have never been more dangerous.  

 Data: Singapore Police Force, SingStat

On 26 February 2026, The Straits Times reported that Singapore saw a ten-year high in road traffic fatalities in 2025. One group of people most impacted by the rise in traffic violations are elderly pedestrians. Defined as individuals aged 65 years or above, the elderly make up 12.9% of the population but are involved in 75% of all fatal traffic accidents involving pedestrians.  

High-profile road traffic accidents  

Section 64 (13) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 empowers police offers to arrest reckless or dangerous drivers without a warrant. Individuals driving against the flow of traffic, disobeying traffic signals, or weaving in and out of traffic are considered dangerous drivers. 

6 February  

A 38-year-old woman was charged with two counts of careless driving after a woman was injured and a 6-year-old girl died after being hit by a car in an open-air carpark in Chinatown.  

29 May  

A teenager was handed 18 charges for traffic violations which took place between January 2025 to January 2026, including a charge of dangerous driving causing hurt, using a deregistered vehicle and driving without insurance coverage.  

17 June  

A 29-year-old man was charged with dangerous driving causing hurt, among other traffic violations, for crashing into a school bus along Cavenagh Road on the morning of 6 March 2024.  

New Road Traffic Bill amendments (2026)  

Penalties for dangerous driving are getting an update. Here are some changes drivers in Singapore should take note of: 

1. Harsher penalties for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt.

The maximum jail term for first-time offenders will increase from 5 to 7 years. Repeat offenders may face up to 13 years in jail, up from the previous maximum jail term of 10 years.  

2. Enhanced penalties for drink driving.

Offenders convicted of causing dangerous or careless driving while drink driving may be subject to an additional 18 months of jail time—an increase of 6 months on top of the current 12 months. 

How much alcohol is too much for drivers in Singapore? If MHA’s recommended amendments to the Road Traffic Bill become law, alcohol limits for blood and breath tests will be significantly lowered. 

Credit: CK Seng

Drink driving limit updates

3. Purposeful endangerment using a vehicle and causing death or grievous hurt.

Can you get banned for dangerous driving and for how long? Under MHA’s new purposeful endangerment rule, a lifetime qualification is not out of the question for egregious offences. While first-time offenders charged with dangerous driving currently face a maximum jail term of 8 years, purposeful endangerment may up the ante for some future first-time offenders. 

Drivers charged with purposeful endangerment may face: 

• A mandatory jail term of up to 15 years 

• Caning 

• A fine 

• A lifetime or mandatory disqualification from driving 

So, what is purposeful endangerment?  

Let’s find out by taking a look at one of the examples cited in MHA’s Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill press release:  

“A is driving a motor car on a road. B is riding a motorcycle in front of A. A drives closely behind B and presses his car horn several times.  

A loses control of his car and collides with the back of B’s motorcycle. B crashes and dies as a result. A is guilty of an offence of purposeful endangerment.” 

This example cited by MHA closely parallels the case of Jarett Tee Lee Kiat, who was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months behind bars for dangerous driving in 2025. Tee’s actions, which resulted in the death of an 18-year-old pillion rider and caused the motorcycle rider to suffer injuries, also earned him a 10-year driving ban.  

4. Enforcement actions against drivers on mobile communication devices.

Could using your mobile phone while driving net you demerit points? That would be a yes, according to new rules recommended by the MHA. First-time offenders caught using mobile communication devices may face fines of up to $1,000, a jail term of up to 6 months, or 12 demerit points. No proof of harm is necessary; traffic police may conduct enforcement using video and photo evidence submitted by the public. Just like how members of the public can report a driver for dangerous driving by submitting feedback to the police, this allows for law enforcement to tap on another source of potential evidence.

Similar legislation surrounding road safety and mobile devices already exist in countries like Australia, Japan, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and certain US states. There are already stories floating around the internet of Malaysian motorists fined for looking at their phones.  

While hands-free usage of mobile devices is permitted, the proposed law could introduce serious consequences for drivers switching up their Spotify playlist while waiting for the traffic light to go from red to green. Getting familiar with voice commands may be your best bet. 

Road Traffic Bill amendments (2025)  

If you’re thinking about how this all sounds very familiar, you’re not wrong. Just don’t confuse the latest slew of proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Bill with the ones from last year. 

Tabled in January 2025 and taking effect a few months later in June, the new sentencing regime stripped mandatory minimum jail terms and disqualification periods for first-time offenders charged with dangerous or careless driving offences.  

Careless vs. Reckless driving offences 

Ever wondered about the difference between dangerous driving and careless driving? Dangerous driving in Singapore is associated with recklessness, demonstrating a certain degree of negligence. Meanwhile, carelessness is defined by a lack of care or attention. 

The Road Traffic rule that remains unchanged  

It’s also important to note that while there are many proposed changes to the law, the maximum penalty for careless driving causing grievous hurt remains unchanged. Under the current rules, first-time offenders face up to 2 years of imprisonment while repeat offenders may be subjected up to 4 years of jail.  

Criminal lawyer on Road Traffic Act updates

Burning questions about the law? Hear directly from our founder, Gino Hardial Singh, a highly experienced trial-focused criminal defence lawyer, specialising in complex white-collar and high stakes Penal Code prosecutions. 

Q1 The removal of mandatory minimum jail terms and disqualification periods last year caused a bit of a stir online. Do you think the new purposeful endangerment offense will help to address worries on the perceived leniency toward first-time offenders? 

Gino: The introduction of the purposeful endangerment offence is a positive step. The examples provided by Parliament offer clearer guidance on the type of conduct that crosses the line from ordinary traffic violations into genuinely dangerous behaviour that creates a real risk of serious injury or death. This addresses situations where existing offences may not have adequately reflected the gravity of the conduct. 

More importantly, the new offence sends a strong deterrent message. Motorists who deliberately or recklessly engage in highly dangerous driving can now expect more serious consequences where the evidence justifies such a charge. In that sense, the offence should go some way towards addressing public concerns about perceived leniency, particularly in cases involving road rage or other deliberate acts of dangerous driving. 

Q2 There have been cases of offenders charged with driving without a license, who are then slapped with a driving ban. Do you think mandatory disqualification will deter offenders like Loh Chun Meng, the 82-year-old who was sent to jail last year, for driving with a license that expired in 1995? 

Gino: Mandatory disqualification already applies to a number of serious road traffic offences, including drink driving, and is often accompanied by substantial fines or imprisonment. While it may not deter every offender—particularly those already willing to drive without a valid license—it sends a strong message that such conduct will not be tolerated. More importantly, it protects the public by keeping offending motorists off the roads for a prescribed period and should have a meaningful deterrent effect on most drivers.  

Where an unlicensed driver causes death or serious injury, the courts should also consider imposing substantial custodial sentences where the circumstances warrant it. Such offenders are uninsured, leaving victims and their families to bear significant financial hardship on top of the devastating physical and emotional consequences of the offence. Sentences must therefore reflect not only the seriousness of the offence but also the wider public interest in deterring such conduct. 

Q3 What are your views on the proposed usage of photos and videos submitted by the public for enforcement against drivers using mobile devices while driving? 

Gino: There is a certain value in members of the public assisting the authorities by reporting dangerous driving. However, photographs and videos submitted by the public should be carefully scrutinised before any enforcement action is taken. A single clip may not capture the full context of an incident, and investigators must ensure that the evidence is authentic, complete and reliable before drawing conclusions. 

At the same time, members of the public should not place themselves or others at risk in an attempt to gather evidence. Motorists should never use their mobile phones while driving to record another driver’s misconduct, as doing so may itself amount to an offence and create the very danger they are trying to report. 

The objective is safer roads, not encouraging vigilantism. Public cooperation is welcome, but it must never come at the expense of safety or due process.  

Q4 What do you think is the difference between dangerous driving and purposeful endangerment? 

Gino: Dangerous driving generally arises where a person drives in a manner that is objectively dangerous, showing a reckless disregard for the safety of other road users, even though causing harm is not the driver’s purpose. The culpability lies in taking an unjustifiable risk or falling to exercise the standard of care expected of a reasonable driver.  

By contrast, purposeful endangerment, involves a clear intention to endanger another person. The mens rea is significantly higher because the act is deliberate: the offender knowingly or intentionally engages in a conduct that places another’s life or safety at risk. Thus, while dangerous driving is characterised by reckless or gross negligence, purposeful endangerment is characterised by intentional or knowing conduct directed at creating danger.  

Case Study: First-time drink-driving offender A 

Credit: Richard L

On 1 May 2025, A accidentally mounted a kerb with her car while attempting to make a three-point U-turn. In a state of panic, A called for a taxi and headed home, leaving her vehicle at the scene. Upon returning home, she was advised to return to the scene by her husband. 

The charges: 

• Section 65(1)(a): Driving without due care and attention 

• Section 67(1)(b): Driving while under influence of drink 

Taken into consideration: 

• Section 122: Leaving vehicles in positions likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience 

Aggravating factors: 

• High breath alcohol concentration of 80 micrograms per 100ml of breath 

• Momentarily drove against the flow of traffic 

• Left the scene after crashing into the kerb 

Mitigating factors: 

• No damage to the kerb was found 

• No damage was done to other vehicles

• The accused had no prior criminal records 

• The accused has since sought voluntary alcohol counselling services 

According to section 65(5)(c), a serious offender who drives without due care or attention, if found guilty and convicted, may be fined between $2000 to $10,000, be jailed up to 12 months, or both. Note that the term “serious offender” is not a standalone charge, but a statutory classification that affects sentencing considerations.   

PP v Chan Chow Chuen 

Like A, Chan Chow Chuen was a first-time offender charged with drink driving and careless driving offences. Also like A, he was deemed to be a serious offender, which netted him both fines and a custodial sentence of 5 days.  

However, on appeal, Chan was able to challenge the court’s view that he was a serious offender. The judge ultimately agreed that (A) his breath alcohol concentration level was not that high and (B) the sentencing bands that were applied to him were meant for a serious and repeat offender—not a first-time offender.

Outcome of the case 

In highlighting Chan Chow Chuen, we hoped to highlight the principle of sentencing parity, which advocates for the consistent application of the law. While we are not able to share the outcome of the case at this juncture, what we can do is emphasise that nobody is immune to making bad decisions from time to time.  

In A’s case, the decision to drive home after having a drink at a company function ultimately led to a traffic violation compounded by multiple aggravating factors.