Accidents and Incidents Involving Vehicles Catching Fire due to Mechanical Failure and Poor Maintenance of Vehicles
Ministry of TransportSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the frequency of vehicle fires from mechanical failure and actions against responsible owners, as raised by Mr Murali Pillai. Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung reported approximately 200 annual fires, mostly from electrical faults, and highlighted mandatory inspections at LTA-Authorised Inspection Centres to ensure roadworthiness. Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung noted that failing vehicles cannot renew road tax, while illegal modifications attract fines up to $5,000 or imprisonment. Furthermore, Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung mentioned regular enforcement and joint LTA-SCDF advisories educating motorists on fire prevention through regular servicing. These measures enforce maintenance standards and safety compliance to mitigate fire risks on the roads.
Transcript
25 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the past five years, how many vehicular accidents and incidents involving vehicles catching fire have arisen due to mechanical failure and poor maintenance of vehicles; and (b) what steps have been taken against vehicle owners or other persons who are responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles involved.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: In the past five years, there have been about 200 cases of vehicle fires per year. Majority of them are due to overheating or faults in electrical components. Given that vehicular parts are badly damaged in most cases of vehicular fire, the SCDF is not usually able to pinpoint the cause of the fire to mechanical failure or lack of maintenance.
To ensure that vehicles are roadworthy, vehicle owners must send their vehicles to LTA-Authorised Inspection Centres (AICs) for mandatory periodic inspections. Older vehicles, as well as commercial and point-to-point passenger transport vehicles are subjected to more frequent inspections. Vehicles that fail the inspection will not have their road tax renewed, and cannot be used on our roads.
LTA also checks for illegal modifications to vehicles, as these could compromise vehicle safety. These checks are conducted as part of the mandatory periodic inspections, and during LTA’s regular enforcement efforts on our roads. Under the Road Traffic Act, any person who is convicted of an illegal modification to the vehicle can be fined up to $5000, imprisoned up to three months, or both. The penalties will be doubled for repeat offenders.
LTA and SCDF have developed joint advisories on how to prevent and handle vehicle fires, for example, through regular servicing and checks for fluid leakages that could lead to engine overheating. These advisories can be found on social media, or at motorist touchpoints such as petrol kiosks, LTA-AICs and customer service centres.