Accidents and arrests on the road related to drink-driving have been on the decline this year, amid increasing awareness among the public about the hazards and risks of drink driving. According to the traffic police, the first nine months of 2017 saw 70 drink-driving accidents, 37 percent lower than the 111 accidents over the same period last year. The number of people arrested for drink driving also fell from 1,546 in the same period last year to 1,535 this year.
Part of the reason for the decrease has been attributed to the availability of car valet services.
Meanwhile, since we’re knee-deep in festivities, traffic police have ramped up their efforts to clamp down on drink drivers, with patrols and roadblocks conducted across the island since the start of December. In a press release, the police noted that 211 drivers were tested for alcohol consumption during the operations, and 71 people have been arrested so far.
Besides roadblock checks, motorists will also be stopped for drink driving checks by motorcycle patrols on the roads if they’re observed to be incapable of controlling their vehicles, The Straits Times said.
If convicted, first-time offenders may be fined between S$1,000 and S$5,000 and may face a ban from driving for up to four years. Repeat offenders can be fined a maximum of S$30,000 and face jail time of up to three years.
