Proposed Rule to Require Commercial Vehicles and Buses to Have Rear View Cameras Installed

12 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will implement a rule requiring all commercial trucks, lorries and buses to have rear view camera installed as an added safety measure to prevent accidents from happening to workers while the vehicle is reversing.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio): Question No 12. Happy birthday, Speaker.

Mr Speaker: Supplementary questions still remain as two per Member.

The Senior Minister of State for Transport (Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan) (for the Minister for Transport): LTA requires all heavy goods vehicles and buses to install devices that cover the vehicle's blind spot areas, as well as the rear view. These devices include blind-spot mirrors and camera monitor systems, which include rear-view cameras, and the objective is to ensure that the driver has sufficient field of vision and awareness of persons near their vehicle.

LTA will continue to monitor developments internationally, and together with other agencies and industry stakeholders, study the need for additional safety requirements.

Mr Speaker: Mr Gan Thiam Poh.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: I thank the Senior Minister of State and just have a clarification. Are there cases where the lorries had not complied and are causing accidents? As a result of the accidents, the families are caught in a very difficult position.

Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan: I thank the Member for his question. Yes, this requirement for heavy goods vehicles and buses to be equipped with such devices to cover blind spots, as well as the rear view, is under the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules. During their annual inspection, if they are found not to have complied, there could be a penalty imposed, a fine as well as jail term. The first offence is up to a $1,000 fine and three months' jail; and it is double for repeat offences.

But in addition to these equipment, I want to appeal to the drivers to exercise caution and care and due diligence, to check before they make such manoeuvres. Because even if you are equipped with these devices, you still need the driver to be careful. If they are reversing, I think MOM also advises, as far as possible, to get people to guide them when they reverse the vehicle.

And for pedestrians and workers to be alert to moving vehicles in the area.

But notwithstanding this, let me say that, as I have said earlier, we continue to look at international developments and study the need for additional safety requirements. At the moment, because of camera technology, most of the vehicles are fitted with blind-spot mirrors, side mirrors, and so on, to enable them to have better vision. Only a very small number of vehicle manufacturers have equipped their vehicles, including goods vehicles with rear view cameras, in lieu of side mirrors. That is because, for such large vehicles, it is a large field of vision and you need good, adequate camera resolution in order to provide clear images for the drivers. So, this is something we are monitoring.

In addition to that, in Japan and Europe last year – in June 2022, Japan has required its automakers to equip all their vehicles, including new goods vehicles, with devices to enable the drivers to check on the rear of the vehicle. But the devices do not have to be just rear view cameras. It could be other devices – sensors, for instance, or even mirrors, perhaps of a different type. And it is only implemented for new models immediately from June; and for existing models, from May 2024.

In July, EU also announced and implemented a similar set of requirements, but it is not for existing registered vehicles.

So, we are also closely monitoring these developments and looking at reviewing this and studying whether it is feasible to add on additional safety requirements.