Ladies and gentle, once and for all, it is really okay for drivers in Singapore to use their handphones or mobile devices at the red light when the vehicle is stationary.

Watch this dialogue session organised by the Traffic Police together with the National Taxi Association and fellow taxi drivers on July 12, 2016:

This was what Superintendent Louis Loke, Head, Operations & Training, said when asked, "What constitutes handphone driving?":

For handphone driving offence to be committed or substantiated, it requires three conditions to be fulfilled:

Number 1, your car must be in motion and you must be driving.

Number 2, you must be holding that device.

Number 3, you must be using a function of that device.

Then is it considered handphone driving.

So the scenario where the car was at the traffic light, so the car was not in motion, even though he (the driver) was holding it, he was using but the car was not in motion. Technically, not a handphone driving offence.

Why was there a need for a clarification again on this issue since it was already confirmed in March 2015 that it is okay to use your phone or mobile devices while stationary at the traffic light?

Unsubstantiated rumours started with this post on July 6, 2016:

This was what the post said:

For all of you to take note:

The new driving rules are in force from 1st July.

Remember not to touch your mobile devices while driving, not even at traffic lights.

First-time offenders can be fined up to Sgd$1,000 and/or jailed for up to six months. Repeat offenders get up to double the penalty.

Anyone caught using any function of his mobile device and holding it while driving could be found guilty of committing an offence, under proposed changes to improve road safety in Singapore.

This includes not just communicating with someone else via calls or texts, which are offences under existing law, but also surfing the internet, visiting social media platforms and downloading videos.

(Traceable with timelock)

The new rules would apply not just to phones but also all mobile communication devices, such as iPads, under the broadened Road Traffic Act.

The rumours were then reproduced wholesale without fact-checking:

This resulted in people who got confused:

In case the above comment does not show, this is what it said:

So, please go ahead and use your phone at the traffic light once you have come to a complete stop.

Although it is legal, is not advisable as some drivers do get distracted.

But it is really okay.

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