SINGAPORE - A total of 31 people were nabbed for their involvement in four cases of illegal street racing from 2018 to 2020, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said on Thursday (March 4).
The cases are all either under investigation or before the courts, he said.
From 2015 to 2017, there were five cases of illegal racing and 10 people were convicted.
Sharing these figures in Parliament, Associate Professor Faishal said the Traffic Police conducts regular enforcement operations at known racing hot spots and will mount additional enforcement operations, where necessary, based on public feedback.
He was responding to Ms Ng Ling Ling (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who had asked whether the Traffic Police would consider taking more enforcement action on roads that are conducive for street racing, especially late at night.
This is in the wake of the fatal high-speed car crash in Tanjong Pagar last month that killed five men.
The accident on the second day of Chinese New Year saw the highest number of people killed in a single traffic accident in the past decade, according to police.
Ms Ng, who is in charge of the Jalan Kayu ward, said she had received more feedback from residents about such roads in her constituency, and also asked if more preventive measures could be put in place besides enforcement.
Prof Faishal said the Traffic Police have received feedback relating to illegal racing issues in her ward, and enforcement operations are currently being conducted there.
Such operations are conducted regularly in areas known to have illegal racing, and the Traffic Police gathers intelligence on such activities from the community, its partners and stakeholders, he said.
"We have a strategy to look at not only illegal speed trials, (but) essentially the overall road safety," Prof Faishal said, without elaborating further.
The penalties for illegal racing include a fine, mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of the vehicle involved. First-time offenders can be jailed for up to six months and fined between $1,000 and $2,000. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to a year and fined between $2,000 and $3,000.
