Putting the brakes on using mobile devices while driving with amended Bill

Under the broadened Road Traffic Act, a driver caught using any function of his mobile communication device - including tablets such as iPads - and holding it while driving could be found guilty of committing an offence. Under the enhanced Road Traffic Act - last amended in 2010 - drivers can be found committing an act when they are communicating with someone via phone calls or text messaging, already offences under existing law, and also surfing the Internet, visiting social media platforms and downloading videos.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the new Bill will "strengthen the Traffic Police's enforcement powers, enhance competency of drivers, as well as clarify the expected behaviour of vehicle owners and motorists on responsible road use." The proposed changes are expected to be debated at the next Parliamentary sitting.

According to Traffic Police figures, there were 3,572 summonses issued for such offences in 2013, an increase of 21.6 percent from 2012. In the first half of 2014 alone, 1,761 summonses were issued, compared to 1,700 issued in the same period last year.

Gopinath Menon, an Associate Professor of Transportation Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, welcomed the proposed changes. He revealed a number of drivers use their tablets for checking e-mails, and even perform multiple tasks with their device while driving, and any type of distraction is not healthy for the driver.

Last year, a street poll conducted by The Sunday Times on 140 motorists found that about 70 percent admitted to using their phones while driving - despite acknowledging it was against the law. Most who took the poll responded, they answered calls or read text messages while driving, although some admitted, they played games and access social media sites.

Under the current Bill, it is not an offence when a driver is using a phone to communicate with someone else, when the phone is mounted on a holder, and this rule would be extended to other mobile devices too, under the enhanced Road Traffic Act.

Other amendments proposed, include a requirement for work pass holders - who need to drive as part of their jobs - to obtain a local driving licence within six months after their work passes had been issued. The new modification might affect some industries, such as construction.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the amendment is to ensure that, "motorists, local and foreign, are familiar with Singapore's traffic rules and conditions, and are sufficiently competent to drive on our roads."