Higher fines, demerit points for speeding offences from Jan 1, 2026
Traffic Police officers conducting enforcement against speeding on an expressway. (Photo: Facebook/Singapore Police Force)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: From next year, motorists caught speeding will face higher fines and more demerit points, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday (Feb 15).
Speaking at the Traffic Police Road Safety Day in Chong Pang, he said offenders will continue to be fined at current rates until the end of the year.
However, they will also receive an advisory informing them of the upcoming heavier penalties from Jan 1, 2026, he added.
This gives people several months to get used to the idea, and hopefully, it will shape behaviour, Mr Shanmugam said.
Details of the revised penalties will be announced by the Traffic Police in due course.
The move comes as increased enforcement has not been enough to curb speeding violations, he said.
"People are dying, getting injured on our roads. Every vehicle is a potential missile on the roads. It is dangerous if you do not use it properly," he added.
“We discussed this, and we think we need to do more to change behaviour or shape behaviour."
This explains the decision to increase the penalties - fines as well as demerit points, he said.
Since 2020, there has been a “very significant” increase in the number of road accidents. While the numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, “the way they are going up is something that is of concern”, Mr Shanmugam said.
In 2024, there were about 7,200 road accidents, resulting in about 142 fatalities. The number of speed-related fatal accidents rose by almost 44 per cent from 2023 to 46 cases.
The number of speeding violations was also the highest in the past decade at 192,000 cases.
The Traffic Police has stepped up its enforcement, including activating the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras, but increased enforcement “has not been enough”, Mr Shanmugam said.
Enforcement is only one part of it. Everyone - driver, pedestrian, or cyclist - has a role to play, Mr Shanmugam said.
He stressed the need to build a culture where road safety is a priority, with motorists staying focused and driving carefully.
The police will continue to ramp up enforcement, including daily roadblocks at various locations, he added.
