Government may increase penalties for drink driving

SINGAPORE — The Government will review the punishment for drink drivers who injure or kill, the police announced on Thursday (Dec 1), as it launched this year’s anti drink-driving campaign.

Speaking at the event held at nightclub Zouk, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee said drink-driving remains a concern, despite an improving situation.

“Drink-driving, as we all know, increases the likelihood of accidents, which can lead to injuries and loss of lives of drivers and their passengers, as well as of innocent victims ... Every single life lost is one too many. This senseless loss of lives is preventable,” said Mr Lee.

“People who use the road — ordinary people, responsible people — ought to be able to stay safe when driving on the roads and not be put at peril because of those who behave irresponsibly. So the penalties have to reflect that as a deterrence and we hope to ensure the safety of the roads,” he added.

The last time drink-driving laws were amended was in 1996.

Currently, any person found driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs — to “such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of such vehicle” — could be jailed up to six months and fined between S$1,000 and S$5000 for a first offence. Repeat offenders could face up to one year in jail and a fine of S$3,000 to S$10,000.

Anyone found guilty of causing the death of another person by the driving of a motor vehicle on a road by reckless or dangerous driving could go to jail for up to five years.

From January to September, 1,540 motorists were arrested. There were also 103 accidents involving drink-driving that caused three fatalities and 153 injuries. The figure is 13 per cent lower than in the same period last year.