If you race illegally on the road in Singapore, the law will soon come down harder on you.

This proposal was introduced alongside others on April 5 in Parliament in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

This was after the Traffic Police detected 26 people involved in illegal racing in 2020.

Only 17 people were charged for this offence from 2015 to 2019.

Illegal racing

Drivers who far exceed the speed limit and exhibit other dangerous driving behaviour will be slapped with more severe penalties.

The fine and jail term for the offence of illegal speed trials will be increased to align with penalties for dangerous driving endangering life.

Penalties to be increased

First-time offenders could be jailed for up to a year and fined up to S$5,000.

The previous penalty was maximum six months in jail and a fine of S$2,000.

Repeat offenders could be jailed for up to two years and fined up to S$10,000.

This is an increase from the maximum one year in jail and a fine of S$3,000.

Forfeiture of car made non-mandatory

However, another amendment relates to making the forfeiture of vehicles non-mandatory.

Currently, vehicles used in the commission of the illegal speed trial offence and seized by the police are forfeited to the state.

With the amendments, there will be no forfeiture if the offender is not the owner of the vehicle, and the offender had used the vehicle without the owner’s consent.

This ensures parity with the forfeiture regime for other egregious offences, such as dangerous driving causing death.

A court ruled during one prominent 2017 case that a Lamborghini not belonging to the offender would be forfeited to the state.

The luxury sports car was used in an illegal race in 2015 by an Indonesian man, but it was registered under the company of his parents.