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Source:
www.mha.gov.sg |
Oral Answer to Parliamentary
Question on an update on the measures taken to manage the
increasing number of drink driving cases, 22 May 2007 |
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Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: |
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Home Affairs whether he can provide an update on the
measures taken to manage the increasing number of drink driving cases. |
Assoc Prof Ho Peng Kee: |
The number of persons arrested for drink
driving increased by about 30% during the same period, from about 2930
persons in 2004 to 3730 persons in 2006. |
For the first quarter of 2007, SPF arrested
920 persons for drink driving, an increase of 22% over the same period
in 2006. Slight injury accidents related to drink driving increased from
about 200 cases in 2004 to 260 cases in 2006. |
Fatal and serious injury accidents related
to drink driving have remained stable over the past 3 years, registering
38 cases, 28 cases and 32 cases in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. |
Traffic Police (TP) has intensified its
efforts to curb drink driving, adopting a 3-pronged approach, that is,
legislation, enforcement and education. |
Legislation is constantly reviewed to
ensure that they remain relevant and provide adequate deterrence
to road users. |
In 1990, MHA strengthened the Road
Traffic Act or RTA to increase the penalties for drink driving, in
particularly, to impose mandatory jail term for repeat offenders. |
In 1996, when breath alcohol
concentration measurement equipment became more reliable, the RTA
was amended to include the use of breath alcohol levels as
evidence. A provision was added that as long as a driver has a
blood or breath alcohol concentration higher than a prescribed
limit, he would be guilty of an offence. |
Traffic Police will complement tough
laws with rigorous enforcement efforts to curb drink driving.
Hence road blocks are conducted island-wide every night with more
road blocks conducted on weekends, holidays and during the festive
periods, when motorists are more likely to drink and drive. |
Education to influence the mindset of
road users is a more effective long-term solution towards reducing
drink driving cases. |
As part of TP¡¯s on-going effort to
spread anti-drink-drive messages, TP and the Police Licensing
Division have implemented a new scheme that requires selected
classes of liquor licence holders to display anti drink driving
posters at their licensed premises starting 1 July 2006. These
anti-drink driving posters serve to remind patrons of the serious
consequences of drink driving. All classes of liquor licence
holders will be included in the scheme in December this year. |
In recent years, TP has also adopted a
targeted approach in its anti-drink drive education efforts. For
example, TP has been working closely with the key stakeholders to
drive home the anti-drink driving message. |
Some key initiatives include arranging
with taxi operators to provide taxi services at various
entertainment outlets, country clubs and restaurants, and
appealing to hotels, discotheques, pubs, karaoke lounges, night
clubs and other entertainment outlets to look after their drunk
patrons by arranging for taxis or car jockeys to send their
patrons home. |
Anti Drink Driving messages have also
been disseminated through various platforms, such as television
commercials, radio broadcasts, newspapers, banners, posters and
other forms of outdoor advertisements. |
All of us can play a part to curb
drink driving. For example, when friends visit a pub, they can
designate someone amongst them to drive. Make this the ¡°cool
thing¡± to do. |
Family members can constantly remind
their loved ones not to drive when they drink. Indeed, if anyone
sees friends and loved ones who have drunk try to drive, they
should stop them. As in the case of drugs, we must adopt a zero
tolerance approach to drink driving. |
Source:
www.mha.gov.sg Press Release
22 May 2007 |
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