21 arrested, 70 summonses issued in enforcement blitz near Woodlands Checkpoint

Twenty-one motorcyclists were arrested, and 70 summonses were issued, following an enforcement operation by the authorities near the Woodlands Checkpoint on March 21, the police said on March 28.

A total of 269 motorcycles were stopped for checks in the joint operation by the Traffic Police, National Environment Agency (NEA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) to ensure that the motorcyclists were following Singapore’s traffic laws, and safety and emission requirements.

The Traffic Police found 23 motorcyclists riding without a valid licence and insurance coverage, and arrested 21 of them.

The offence of driving without a valid licence can result in a fine of up to $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

Among the 21 arrested, one was also nabbed for drink driving and another for cheating by personation.

If convicted of drink driving, one can be fined between $2,000 and $10,000, jailed for up to a year, or both, for the first offence. Offenders may also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.

The NEA issued 39 summonses for offences involving vehicular smoke and excessive noise emission.

Separately, the LTA issued 31 summonses for offences such as having an improper number plate, expired vehicle entry permit, expired road tax and expired insurance.

All vehicles, including foreign-registered vehicles, entering Singapore must comply with Singapore’s traffic laws and stipulated safety and emission requirements, the police said.

The licence plates on these vehicles must follow the mandated specifications and be properly displayed, they added.

Motorists who do not follow these rules may be punished, and foreign-registered vehicles may not be allowed into Singapore at the land checkpoints.

In the statement, the Traffic Police reminded motorists to abide by the traffic rules and ride safely, as motorcyclists and pillion riders continue to be a significant group of people involved in traffic accidents.

They urged all road users to play their part by adopting good road sense and “looking out for one another”.

There were three reported accidents involving the deaths of motorcyclists in March.

A male motorcyclist died on March 8 in an accident involving two lorries, three motorcycles and a car.

On March 23, two Singaporean motorcyclists were killed and another four injured after a lorry crashed into motorcyclists in Johor.

On March 25, a 45-year-old motorcyclist died of his injuries after an accident in Tuas involving a lorry.

The Straits Times reported in early March that motorcyclist and pillion rider fatalities spiked by 44.7 per cent in 2023, claiming 68 lives, according to latest figures issued by the police.

Although motorcycles make up less than 15 per cent of Singapore’s vehicle population, motorcyclists and pillion riders were involved in more than half of all traffic accidents in 2023.

They also accounted for half of all fatalities in road accidents.

All in, 4,290 motorcycle and pillion riders were injured in accidents in 2023, which means about 12 people were involved in motorcycle-related accidents each day.

Experts told ST earlier that an increase in vehicle numbers has led to more congestion and conflict on roads.

Mr Aman Aljunied, a motorcycle safety consultant and former instructor at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, said slower traffic often results in road users becoming more impatient, and leads to a higher likelihood of reckless behaviour or inattention on roads.

Other experts also said impatience on the road has worsened the age-old problem of lane splitting.

Lane splitting is the practice of riding between lanes, often weaving through the gap between two vehicles. Motorcyclists often ride on or very close to the dotted white lines that demarcate one lane from the other, switching lanes in a split-second, which can make their movements unpredictable to other road users.