Men seen in dashcam footage of traffic incidents investigated for touting, dangerous driving
Footage of an incident captured by an on-vehicle camera showed men engaged in conversation after stopping at the scene of a motor accident. (Image: Youtube/SG Road Vigilante)
SINGAPORE: Police are investigating several people for alleged offences of touting and dangerous driving after videos emerged on social media platforms recently, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Thursday (Oct 7).
The authorities noted three incidents involving the drivers and occupants of two cars.
In the first incident on Jul 6, a yellow car and a black car pulled over and stopped along the slip road of Pan Island Expressway towards Kallang Bahru. This came after a traffic accident between a van and another car; the yellow and black cars were not involved in this incident.
In footage from an in-vehicle camera posted on by traffic group SG Road Vigilante on its social media platforms, men can be seen emerging from the vehicles, engaging in conversation with each other and a man presumed to be involved in the accident.
Four male suspects from the yellow car are under investigation for allegedly harassing a male driver involved in the accident.
Two other men from the black car are also being investigated for suspected touting.
The drivers of the yellow and black cars, aged 22 and 25 respectively, will also be investigated for stopping on the road shoulder of an expressway, SPF said.
In a second incident detailed by the police, the same yellow car from the previous incident, albeit with a different driver, was captured on video in an alleged road rage incident.
In the video posted to social media, the yellow car braked abruptly and repeatedly, resulting in a collision with a private bus.
The driver of the car, a 22-year-old man, has been arrested for dangerous driving and his driving licence was suspended with immediate effect.
A 24-year-old male passenger from the same car is also being investigated for intentional harassment.
The third incident described by the authorities involved a four-vehicle chain collision, including the black car from the previous incident, along Upper Serangoon Road.
The same 25-year-old driver of the black car had allegedly stopped behind other vehicles who were involved in a separate accident to solicit for business when his vehicle was hit from behind by another car, said the police.
He was arrested for dangerous driving, SPF said, adding that he is also under investigation for separate offences of dangerous driving captured in separate social media posts.
"He has also been served with immediate driving suspension," police added.
"It is an offence for any individual to solicit for any business on any public road or public place in a manner that causes annoyance to others," said the police.
If charged and convicted of touting, an offender may face a fine of not less then S$1,000 and not more than S$5,000, jailed for a maximum of six months, or both.
Those convicted of harassment may be fined up to S$5,000, while stopping one's vehicle on a road shoulder of an expressway without valid reasons carries a punishment of a fine not exceeding S$1,000, a maximum of three months' jail, or both.
Dangerous driving offenders face a maximum fine of S$5,000, up to 12 months' jail, or both.
"The police take a serious view on errant motorists who drive recklessly on the road to put themselves and other road users in danger and will not hesitate to take firm action against such individuals," said SPF.
