Regulations Governing Speed of Heavy Vehicles on Roads and Effectiveness of Existing Enforcement Measures
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the regulations and enforcement strategies governing heavy vehicle speeds, as raised by Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong. Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam responded that current measures are effective, noting mandatory speed limiters for vehicles over 12,000kg and their phased extension to lorries exceeding 3,501kg. Key policies include frequent inspections, stringent licensing, and the activation of speed detection in red-light cameras starting in the second quarter of 2024. Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam also highlighted higher composition sums for offenders and ongoing reviews of penalties for speed limiter tampering. Driver education and targeted enforcement operations further support these efforts to maintain road safety compliance.
Transcript
2 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the current regulations in place to control the speed of heavy vehicles on the roads; (b) whether there are plans to review or tighten the regulations controlling the speed of heavy vehicles; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure that heavy vehicle operators comply with vehicle maintenance and safety standards that can impact speeding and road safety.
3 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether he can provide details on the enforcement strategies used to deter and reduce incidents of speeding among heavy vehicle drivers; and (b) whether existing enforcement measures have been effective and, if not, what improvements are being considered.
4 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how is the Ministry leveraging on technology for the detection of speeding heavy vehicles to ensure compliance with speed limits; (b) what initiatives are in place to educate heavy vehicle drivers about the dangers of speeding and promote safe driving practices; and (c) how does the Ministry assess the effectiveness of driver education programmes in reducing speeding incidents among heavy vehicle operators.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) assesses that our regulations and strategies to deal with heavy vehicle speeding are sufficient for now. Between 2016 and 2023, the number of heavy vehicle speeding accidents remained low and stable.
The key regulations to limit the speed of heavy vehicles include the following.
The Traffic Police (TP) requires goods vehicles with a maximum laden weight (MLW) greater than 12,000 kilogrammes (kg), to be installed with speed limiters which impose a speed limit of 60 kilometre per hour. Manufacturers or motor dealers of heavy vehicles must submit documentation of the installation to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), before the vehicles can be registered for use in Singapore.
On 1 January 2024, TP commenced mandatory installation of speed limiters also for lorries with a MLW between 3,501 kg and 12,000 kg. This will be implemented in phases from now until June 2027.
LTA requires commercial vehicles, including heavy vehicles, to undergo more frequent inspections at Authorised Inspection Centres, than cars. This includes checking that the speed limiter label is properly displayed, and the speed limiter is installed in accordance with the prevailing requirements.
Drivers of heavy vehicles are required to obtain a Class 4 or higher driving licence. The training and test requirements are more stringent than Class 3.
Under the Road Traffic Act (RTA) 1961, if a heavy vehicle with a MLW greater than 12,000 kg is found to be without a speed limiter or in possession of a tampered speed limiter, both the driver and owner may be liable for an imprisonment term of up to three months or a fine of up to $1,000. The offending heavy vehicles will also be required to report for additional speed limiter checks – twice a year, or up to four times a year in the case of repeat offenders. To strengthen deterrence against non-compliant speed limiters and tampering, MHA is reviewing the relevant offences and penalties under the RTA.
TP engages drivers of heavy vehicles and their employers through road safety talks all year round. TP has a network of speed cameras island-wide to detect speeding. From the second quarter of this year, TP will be activating the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras. TP also regularly conducts targeted enforcement operations against heavy vehicle speeding. Heavy vehicle drivers who are caught speeding will face higher composition sums than motorists driving lighter vehicles.