Last weekend, the Traffic Police (TP) conducted an islandwide operation against drink-driving, resulting in 12 motorists being arrested for various offences.
It was the first time the operation involved setting up roadblocks on expressways in more than 10 years, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a press release on Wednesday (25 Dec).
Source: Singapore Police Force
During the crackdown from 20 Dec to 21 Dec, 74 motorists were stopped and tested for alcohol intake, TP said.
10 men and a woman, aged between 31 and 58, failed their breathalyser tests and were subsequently arrested.
The highest Breath Evidential Analyser test result observed was 60 microgrammes (mg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath — close to twice the prescribed legal limit which is 35mg per 100ml.
Source: Singapore Police Force
One of those arrested for drink-driving was a 45-year-old man who was also arrested for driving under disqualification.
Worse still, he was driving with his wife and nine-year-old child in the car, which TP said was “a blatant disregard for both the law and his family’s safety”.
Meanwhile, a 28-year-old man was also arrested for driving without a valid driving licence and insurance coverage.
Source: Singapore Police Force
TP explained that while Singaporeans might be used to seeing roadblocks on arterial roads, they can also be placed in other locations and terrains.
That includes expressways, it said, asking for understanding from the public as some inconvenience to motorists may be “unavoidable”.
This comes as TP aims to step up its enforcement actions against drink-driving “to deliver a strong deterrent message to potential offenders”.
Netizens reported that the roadblocks were put up on the Central Expressway (CTE) and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), causing massive jams that lasted for hours.
Superintendent of Police Lian Weixiong, who is head of TP’s Research, Planning and Organisational Development Branch, stressed that TP has “zero tolerance” for drink-driving, saying:
Drunk drivers don’t just break the law, they shatter lives and tear families apart.
Thus, TP officers will be out in full force during the year-end to enforce the message: “If you drink, don’t drive.”
According to TP, the number of drink-driving accidents has increased from 175 in 2022 to 180 in 2023, the highest figure since 2014.
Between January and October 2024, 142 drink-driving accidents have already been recorded, 10 of which were fatal.
TP urged all motorists to make responsible choices and keep the roads safe, especially during the year-end festivities.
Also read: Drunk S’pore driver who said ‘sorry’ before escaping from traffic police at 140km/h jailed 14 weeks
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
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