Traffic Police reviewing breath, blood alcohol limits to tackle drink driving

SINGAPORE – The Traffic Police (TP) will review the legal alcohol limit for driving in Singapore due to the rising number of drivers caught behind the wheel while under the influence.

Currently, the

maximum limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath

or 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

In 2024,

1,778 people were caught drink driving,

said TP in their annual statistics release on Feb 21. There were 1,663 people arrested for the same offence in 2023.

Although the number of drink-driving-related accidents dropped from 180 in 2023 to 166 in 2024, the number of fatal accidents increased from 11 in 2023 to 12 in 2024.

The move to review the drinking limits was announced by Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State for Home Affairs, in response to a parliamentary question from Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar), who asked if the ministry was considering any new measures to reduce drink-driving incidents.

He said that more details about the new legal limits will be announced at a later date.

In his reply, Prof Faishal added that TP has intensified their enforcement efforts against drink driving.

In Dec 2024, TP conducted an anti-drink driving operation on the Central Expressway, where they set up a

road block at the Jalan Bahagia exit towards Ang Mo Kio.

Ten men and a woman, aged between 31 and 58, failed their breathalyser tests and were arrested that night.

Those convicted of drink driving can be fined between $2,000 and $10,000, be imprisoned for up to 12 months, or both.

Repeat offenders may be fined between $5,000 and $20,000, and jailed for up to two years.

Offenders may also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.

Speeding violations mostly by male car drivers

In the same question, Ms Pereira asked about the profiles of speeding motorists.

Based on data from 2024, Prof Faishal said Singaporean male car drivers are “disproportionately represented” among speeding offenders.

He added that TP does not track the reasons for speeding violations, but the most common excuses given are not being aware of the speed limit and being in a hurry to get to an appointment.

Prof Faishal said: “Those who commit multiple offences or are recalcitrant offenders can expect to receive higher penalties. Egregious offenders are more likely to face prosecution from court, instead of being offered composition.”

In their annual statistics release, TP said there were more than 100,720 cases of speeding violations in 2024, more than double the number in 2023.

To tackle speeding offences, TP announced in February that composition fines for such offences will be

increased by between $50 and $150,

and demerit points by up to six points, from Jan 1, 2026.

On March 2, a Porsche driver

died in an accident on Nicoll Highway

after he was trapped in his blazing vehicle.

Videos of the accident circulating on social media showed the blue Porsche speeding down the road and crashing into several cars, before bursting into flames.

ST reported on March 3 that the driver was

37-year-old Jeffery Loh Chong Hao.

He was the director and one of three shareholders of Chee Song Foods, a company known for its halal-certified meat products.