Increased demerit points, fines for speeding offences from 2026: Shanmugam
The number of people caught for speeding violations hit a 10-year high at 192,000, said Shanmugam.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Jasper Lim
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 16, 2025 3:10 AMByCandice CaiThose caught for speeding offences can expect stiffer penalties come 2026, in the form of higher fines and demerit points.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam indicated this in a speech during the inaugural Road Safety Day at Chong Pang on Saturday (Feb 15), where he noted there has been a "very significant increase" in the number of road accidents since 2020.
In 2024, there were nearly 7,200 road accidents which claimed the lives of 142 people.
"What that means is that every week, about two to three persons are dying from road accidents," he said, adding that speeding is a major factor when it comes to the risk of accidents occurring.
The minister also highlighted that there were 46 fatal speeding-related accidents in 2024 — up nearly 44 per cent from the previous year.
The number of people caught for speeding violations was also at a 10-year high, at 192,000.
He stated that the increased enforcement measures — such as activating the speed enforcement function in red-light cameras — has not been enough and more has to be done to change or shape behaviour.
"People are dying and getting injured on our roads. Every vehicle is a potential missile in the roads — it's dangerous if you don't use it properly," said Shanmugam.
Stating that penalties will be increased, he shared: "Fines as well as demerit points will increase. The details will be given by the traffic police in due course."
To give people time for people to adjust, those who commit speeding offences will receive an advisory stating the increased fines and demerit points from Jan 1, 2026.
"So people will get a number of months to get used to this idea, hopefully it will shape behaviour," stated Shanmugam.
The police will continue with and step up enforcement, including "daily roadblocks at different locations", he added.
The Singapore Road Safety Council has also formed a Road Safety Outreach Taskforce, partnering public and private stakeholders such as the Automobile Association of Singapore, Traffic Police, Land Transport Authority, and the Ministry of Education to increase road safety awareness through various channels, including social media.
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