SINGAPORE – The number of road accidents linked to drink driving is on the rise after a decline over the two years when Covid-19 restrictions largely shut the doors on nightlife activities.

Traffic Police figures showed that there were 175 drink-driving accidents in 2022, the highest since 178 such cases were recorded in 2018, when tougher penalties were mooted amid a spike in cases.

Under the Road Traffic Act, which was amended in 2019, drivers who commit traffic offences including drink driving risk stiffer penalties. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will result in 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 from before.

Mr Bryan Ong, who works in the financial sector, told The Sunday Times that while the harsher penalties could act as deterrence, motorists who are bent on drink driving will still find ways to skirt the efforts.

Mr Ong, 30, said: “People are smart enough to get away from measures like road blocks with technology nowadays. So while helpful, it’s also hard to see the penalties eradicating the problem of drink driving altogether.”

In May, there was a spate of suspected drink-driving incidents.

On May 28, a man was arrested for suspected drink driving after the car he was driving flipped onto its side along Adam Road after an accident. Hours later, police arrested another driver for the same offence after an accident in Tampines Avenue 10. Just days earlier, a 27-year-old man was arrested for suspected drink driving after the GetGo rental car he was in crashed into a stationary vehicle at the junction of Bayfront Avenue and Marina Boulevard.

In Singapore, the legal alcohol limit is 80mg for every 100ml of blood. In comparison, countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Australia cap the blood alcohol content at 0.05, the equivalent of 50mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood.

A Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman said the current limit was introduced in 1985 after studying drink-driving violation trends, which were on the rise then, and international benchmarks.

Before 1985, the limit was 110mg per 100ml of blood, and was derived through assessments by forensic pathologists.

The ministry said that there are no plans for now to revise the blood alcohol content limit, adding that the drink-driving situation remains under control. 

“The number of drink-driving violations has steadily fallen over the years. The number of fatal accidents and fatalities involving drink driving has also been declining.

“We are, however, closely watching the total number of drink-driving accidents,” the spokesman said, adding that MHA takes a very strong stance against drink driving as it seriously endangers other road users, and not just the driver.

While the number of fatal accidents and fatalities involving drink driving has been declining since 2018, there was a spike after nightlife activities resumed from April 2022. The number of fatal drink-driving accidents increased by 25 per cent, from eight cases in 2021 to 10 in 2022. The number of persons arrested for drink driving increased by 16 per cent, from 1,453 persons in 2021 to 1,685 in 2022.

Mr Aaron Buay, a consultant, said he has heard of acquaintances being stopped at Traffic Police road blocks for drink driving, but that measure is often too late. Instead, more could be done to help prevent drivers from reaching that point.

Mr Buay, 29, said: “Public transport could run round-the-clock so people will be more enticed to leave their cars at home, or it could be a weekend and public holiday offering, since that is when people usually let loose.”

Some states in Australia practise a double demerit point system, with drivers receiving more points for traffic offences including drink driving during public holiday periods and long weekends.

The Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) said stricter laws could help in the fight against drink driving but said such a rule may not work in the Republic. Mr Bernard Tay, chairman of SRSC, said: “Due to the different culture, nature and infrastructure of different countries, the law in other countries might not be suitable to be applied in Singapore’s context.”

He pointed out that different behavioural habits, traffic movements, terrain and climate between countries will result in different traffic statistics.

Fatal accidents

A number of accidents over the last two years have highlighted the dangers of drink driving.

The Tanjong Pagar crash in 2021 resulted in the deaths of five men between the ages of 26 and 29. Toxicology reports showed the driver’s blood alcohol level was at 86mg per 100ml at the time.

That same year, a 59-year-old driver died after an accident at the junction of Tampines Avenue 10 and Tampines Avenue 1 involving four cars, a taxi, and a motorcycle.

The 33-year-old driver that caused the accident was allegedly found to have 42 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol in 100ml of breath, over the prescribed limit of 35mcg.

In 2022, a 25-year-old driver was arrested for drink driving in a lorry accident in Old Jurong Road towards Upper Bukit Timah Road. The crash resulted in the death of two passengers, aged 17 and 23.

Aside from enforcement action, the Traffic Police also organises an annual Anti-Drink Drive Campaign, working together with community partners to educate the public. 

The campaign is usually held during the year-end festive period, to remind members of the public who are celebrating not to drive, if they are drinking.

MHA said: “We regularly review our road traffic policies to ensure the safety of road users, their parity with international standards, as well as their appropriateness for our local road conditions and road use patterns.”

Mr Tay said efforts by the police must go hand in hand with that of motorists to be effective.

“It is equally important that the public is educated on the importance of road safety, as motorists’ behaviours can also make a difference,” he said. 

Strong deterrence

Gary (not his real name), 40, feels the current laws can be enhanced further, to deter motorists from driving when intoxicated. He said an offender’s driving licence should be suspended immediately, even before their day in court. 

The business owner was arrested 13 years ago for drink driving, and eventually handed a two-year driving ban along with a $6,000 fine. 

He said his licence was suspended only six months after he was arrested, which meant he could continue driving even after his initial arrest. 

Gary added: “I think it’s very unusual that a drunk driver does not have his licence instantly confiscated or revoked. Ironically, I had to chase my investigating officer to send me to court.”

Mr Josiah Zee, 36, an associate at Invictus Law Corporation where his team has worked on such cases in the past, said it remains a common occurrence that licences are not revoked immediately.

“However, we have seen that in cases where there were serious injury or death caused, or where serious damage was caused to property, the licences of such alleged offenders were suspended immediately,” said the criminal lawyer.

He also pointed out that if serious injury, death, or serious damage was caused, the Deputy Commissioner of Police can suspend the licence of the offender immediately under the Road Traffic Act. 

Victims of drink driving, who are fortunate enough to walk away from the accidents, say they have to deal with the aftermath. 

In 2018, Francis (not his real name), 38, was on his way to work as an emergency nurse at Sengkang General Hospital when the van he was driving was hit by a car from behind. He called the police as the driver reeked of alcohol. The man was later arrested. 

Francis said: “A lot of people were asking me why I reported the incident. Because once you report them, and they are guilty of drink driving, their insurer will not be liable to cover for them.”

The General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) said this is not always the case. All vehicles in Singapore are required to be insured with third-party motor insurance, which covers death or injury to other parties.

“This includes liability to passengers and other road users,” a spokesman for GIA said, even if the driver was driving under the influence. The insurer will then seek recovery from the insured driver, as they would have been in breach of the motor insurance policy terms by driving under the influence.

Francis said he covered the damages to his own vehicle, which amounted to around $13,000. The offender, meanwhile, was let off with a stern warning for the offence of drink driving, according to documents seen by ST.

“I was looking through forums in Singapore and realised there’s a large community of people who have been in the same situation, and did not report the accident because they would rather claim the damages from the drunk driver,” he said.

GIA said in such cases where there is only property damage, victims should make a claim with their own insurance policies.

“Should the claimant’s insurer consider that its insured driver is not at fault in the accident, (their) annual premium will not be affected,” the spokesman added.

• This article has been updated to change the number of drink driving accidents in 2022 to 175, following an update by the Traffic Police. It has also been edited for clarity.