Singapore proposes law to ban holding mobile devices
while driving
Priscilla Goy
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 06-08-2014
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.
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 proposed amendments to the Act, tabled in
Parliament on Monday, come amid a rise in phone-and-drive
offences.
There were 3,572 summonses issued for such offences last year, up
21.6 per cent from 2,938 in 2012, according to Traffic Police
figures.
In the first half of this year, 1,761 summonses were issued,
compared with 1,700 issued in the same period last year. First-time
offenders can be fined up to S$1,000 (US$801) and/or jailed for up
to six months. Repeat offenders get up to double the penalty.
The new Bill "will strengthen (the) Traffic Police's enforcement
powers, enhance competency of drivers, as well as clarify the
expected behaviour of vehicle owners and motorists on responsible
road use", the home affairs ministry said. The changes are
expected to be debated at the next Parliamentary sitting.
Associate Professor Gopinath Menon, who teaches transportation
engineering at Nanyang Technological University, welcomed the
proposed changes.
"Some drivers use their tablet devices for checking e-mail because
of the bigger screen, and they may even perform multiple tasks with
their tablets," he said. "Any type of distraction won't be good for
drivers."
Last year, a street poll of 140 motorists by The Sunday
Times found that about seven in 10 admitted to using their
phones while driving. This is even though most knew it was against
the law.
Most respondents said they took calls and read text messages while
driving, but there were also those who played games and used social
media like Facebook.
While it is an offence when a driver holds a phone and uses it to
communicate with someone else, it is not against the law to use the
phone if it is mounted on a holder. This will apply to other mobile
devices as well, under the new Bill.
Other amendments in the new Bill include a requirement for work
pass holders who need to drive as part of their jobs to obtain a
local driving licence within six months after their work passes had
been issued.
This could affect some industries, such as construction.
BD CraneTech director Jeffrey Lim said more details will be needed
as this could affect work pass holders differently, depending on
their country of origin.
For example, those from India can convert their international
driving licences to local ones. "This should not take too long, and
they would still be able to meet the (proposed) requirement within
six months," said Lim.
But others from places like Myanmar or Bangladesh cannot do so and
have to take theory and practical tests in Singapore, he
added.
The home affairs ministry said the amendment is to ensure that
"motorists, local and foreign, are familiar with Singapore's
traffic rules and conditions, and are sufficiently competent to
drive on our roads". It last amended the Road Traffic Act in
2010.
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http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/transport/story/proposed-amendment-road-traffic-act-makes-using-or-holding-mobile-dev#sthash.QThpzXIS.dpuf
