SINGAPORE – The Traffic Police (TP) conducted islandwide operations against drink driving in the early morning of Dec 23, resulting in the arrests of 18 motorists.
Regular enforcement operations can be expected during the festive period, especially following a rise in drink-driving accidents from 2020.
At a roadblock near Republic Avenue towards the East Coast Parkway on Dec 22, a team from The Straits Times observed dozens of police officers setting up a roadblock. From about 11.45pm, traffic came to a crawl on the two-lane road as officers performed preliminary checks before directing some motorists to take breathalyser tests.
The deputy commanding officer of the TP’s patrol unit, Superintendent Puteh Shariff, said: “Drink driving is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act which endangers the safety of all road users. The Traffic Police take a serious stance against those who drink and drive and will not hesitate to take firm action against those who do.”
Among those chosen for the breathalyser tests were middle-aged men and younger drivers. A total of 56 motorists were stopped and tested for alcohol consumption at the various roadblocks.
A total of 10 men and seven women, between the ages of 23 and 70, failed their tests and were arrested for drink driving. A 35-year-old male driver was also arrested for failing to provide a breath specimen.
At the roadblock near Republic Avenue, a slightly flushed-looking driver told an officer that he had had one drink and that it was his first time taking a breathalyser test.
The officer explained to the man what the test entailed and instructed him not to touch the device.
The driver had to repeat the test three times, as he had not blown enough of his breath into the device. He eventually heaved a sigh of relief when the screen on the device showed a “pass”.
In Singapore, the legal alcohol limit for driving is 80mg for every 100ml of blood, or 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
A middle-aged driver who had also passed the breathalyser test was told by an officer that he could still be liable to be hauled up should he be involved in an accident while driving home from the police roadblock.
Drink-driving accident figures were the lowest in 2020, when there were 146 such accidents. The figure rose to 155 in 2021 and 170 in 2022.
While the number of people killed in drink-driving accidents in 2020 was 13, the deaths in this category dipped to eight in 2021 and rose to 10 in 2022.
The lower figures in 2020 were attributed to nightlife establishments being closed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. In 2022, 1,685 people were arrested for drink driving, compared with 1,453 in 2021.
Under the Road Traffic Act (RTA), drivers who commit traffic offences, including drink driving, may face a maximum of one year’s jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, for first-time offenders. This is double the penalty before the RTA was amended in 2019.
In some cases, repeat offenders can be banned for life from driving a vehicle.
This happened in the recent case of a third-time drink-driving offender, who had his appeal against a lifetime driving ban dismissed by the Chief Justice on Sept 21, 2023, and his sentence of eight weeks’ jail, a $10,000 fine and a lifetime driving ban imposed by a district judge upheld.
TP urged motorists to refrain from driving to venues where they intend to consume alcohol. They should instead opt for alternative forms of transport, such as taking a taxi or public transport.
If they do drive there, they should engage valet services or designate a sober friend to drive them home.
