'Our roads are becoming less safe', MHA to introduce new road safety measures & legislation: Sim Ann

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is investing heavily in road safety technology and will look beyond enforcement to prevent accidents as incidents and violations increase.

In her MHA Committee of Supply (COS) speech on Feb. 27 , Senior Minister of State for Home and Foreign Affairs, Sim Ann, said, "We need a stronger enforcement posture because our roads are becoming less safe."

"We will continue enforcement, but we also need to look beyond enforcement to reverse these trends decisively, because accidents, injuries and fatalities can all be prevented."

According to the Annual Road Traffic report released on Feb. 26, Singapore's traffic fatality rate has increased by 24 per cent from 2021 to 2025, and traffic violations increased by about 38 per cent in the same period.

Drink-driving limit to be lowered

Sim also announced that the drink driving limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath will be lowered to 15 micrograms of alcohol.

She said that this limit is in line with other "jurisdictions in Asia such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea".

"The message is simple: if you drink, don’t drive."

Sim also cited the case of Jarrett Tee, whose blocking and breaking game resulted in the death of an 18-year-old pillion rider, and said that the MHA will study his case.

"We will study this with a view towards introducing a new offence to tackle such behaviour, with a higher maximum penalty than the existing offence of dangerous driving causing death."

Sim said MHA is also "considering tightening the Driver Improvement Points System, otherwise more commonly known as the demerit points system".

She said the considerations of vocational drivers will also be accounted for and that MHA had consulted transport-related unions.

She also noted that MHA is working on several measures regarding foreign-registered vehicles, and MHA will announce the details later.

Implemented new cameras in 2025

In 2025, the Traffic Police (TP) trialled the new Traffic Violation Enforcement Camera, "which leverages video analytics and automatic number plate recognition to detect and capture various traffic violations in real time".

These cameras will be fully operationalised in the first quarter of 2026.

MHA is working with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) to design road infrastructure that "promotes and demands safety".

Additionally, TP has stepped up its presence and public engagement.

Sim cited Helsinki, Finland, as an example due to the capital city's zero road traffic fatalities from July 2024 to July 2025 and Vision Zero approach that aims to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries.

'Life moves at a fast pace in Singapore'

She said there was no reason why Helsinki's Vision Zero could not be replicated in Singapore and urged for "collective recognition that our road culture needs to change".

"It is true that life moves at a fast pace in Singapore. Most road users are pressed for time."

Sim noted that drivers are also distracted, and "that it can be all too easy to disregard traffic rules or the needs of other road users, especially when we are rushing for time".

She posed the question, "Can we do better?" and said that all road users have to be part of the change to ensure road safety.

"We know that time is needed for attitudes and behaviours to change, which is why we will engage stakeholders and members of the public to co-create solutions on what more can be done to improve our traffic safety situation."

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Top photo from MDDI/YouTube and Singapore Police Force/Facebook