Penalties for Dangerous Driving for Singapore Drivers

Last updated on July 1, 2021

Featured image for the "Drivers: Do You Know the Penalties for Dangerous Driving in Singapore?" article. It features a car speeding through a city.

Perhaps you’re a fan of the Fast & Furious film franchise and want to try out those cool car stunts for yourself.

Or maybe you think you have the hots to be Singapore’s Best Car Drifter just because you own a sweet car.

Or maybe you’re just in a rush and are cutting in and out of the lanes so you can get home faster.

All these actions could get you charged for dangerous driving in Singapore. Do you know what the penalties are for drivers convicted of this offence?

What is the Offence of Dangerous Driving?

If a driver drives at a speed or manner dangerous to the public, he will be guilty of an offence under section 64(1) of the Road Traffic Act (RTA). Examples of dangerous driving include:

  • Driving against the flow of traffic
  • Weaving in and out of traffic
  • Disobeying traffic signals

Police officers are empowered to arrest dangerous drivers without a warrant.

What are the Maximum Penalties for Dangerous Driving?

For drivers convicted of driving dangerously under section 64(1) of the RTA, the maximum penalties for the offence depends on the extent of harm caused by the driver to any victims.

The penalties are stated in the table below. For disqualification for driving, the court can order shorter disqualification periods (or choose not to disqualify the driver at all) if there are special reasons to do so.

Extent of Harm Caused / Offender Death Grievous hurt Hurt Any other case

First-time offenders

Non-serious offenders

  • 2 to 8 years’ jail; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 10 years
  • 1 to 5 years’ jail; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 8 years
  • Up to 2 years’ jail and/or up to $10,000 fine
  • Up to 1 year’s jail and/or up to $5,000 fine

Serious offenders

(Offenders convicted of dangerous driving AND either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen)

  • Extra 1 to 2 years’ jail in addition to the jail term for non-serious first-time offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 12 years
  • Extra 6 months to 1 year’s jail, and fine of between $2,000 to $10,000, in addition to the jail term for non-serious first-time offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 10 years
  • Extra jail time of up to 1 year, and/or fine of between $2,000 and $10,000, in addition to the punishment for non-serious first-time offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 2 years
  • Extra jail time of up to 1 year, and/or fine of between $2,000 and $10,000, in addition to the punishment for non-serious first-time offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 2 years

Repeat offenders

(Offenders who have been previously convicted at least once for dangerous driving or other offences such as speeding, careless driving and causing death by a rash/negligent act with a motor vehicle)

Non-serious repeat offenders

  • 4 to 15 years’ jail; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 10 years
  • 2 to 10 years’ jail; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 8 years
  • Up to 4 years’ jail and/or up to $20,000 fine
  • Up to 2 years’ jail and/or up to $10,000 fine

Serious repeat offenders

(Offenders convicted of dangerous driving AND either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath or blood specimen, where the offender has previously been convicted at least once of either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen)

  • Extra 2 to 4 years’ jail in addition to the punishment for non-serious repeat offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 15 years if the offender has only one previous conviction of either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen (if the offender has two or more of such previous convictions, the offender will be disqualified for life)
  • Extra 1 to 2 years’ jail, and fine of between $5,000 to $20,000, in addition to the jail term for non-serious repeat offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 13 years if the offender has only one previous conviction of either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen (if the offender has two or more of such previous convictions, the offender will be disqualified for life)
  • Extra jail time of up to 2 years, and fine of between $5,000 and $20,000, in addition to the punishment for non-serious repeat offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 5 years if the offender has only one previous conviction of either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen (if the offender has two or more of such previous convictions, the offender will be disqualified for life)
  • Extra jail time of up to 2 years, and fine of between $5,000 and $20,000, in addition to the punishment for non-serious repeat offenders; and
  • Disqualified from driving for at least 5 years if the offender has only one previous conviction of either driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol or failing to provide a breath/blood specimen (if the offender has two or more of such previous convictions, the offender will be disqualified for life)

Other Penalties for Dangerous Driving

Where the offence involves illegal car racing

From 30 June 2021, persons who promote or take part in illegal car racing will face enhanced penalties. First-time offenders will be jailed for up to 1 year and fined up to $5,000. Repeat offenders will be jailed for up to 2 years and fined up to $10,000.

The court may also decide whether to forfeit the car used if it belongs to someone else and was used without the owner’s consent. 

What Sentence May Drivers Convicted of Dangerous Driving Get?

When deciding the appropriate sentence for a driver convicted of dangerous driving, the court will take into account:

  • The harm that has resulted from the offence (see the table above)
  • The driver’s culpability for the offence

Culpability of the driver

3 factors which generally affect the culpability of a driver for dangerous driving are:

  1. Manner of driving: How the driver was driving and the extent of danger posed to road users as a result of this. Culpability would increase where there are aggravating factors such as speeding, drink-driving, sleepy driving, driving while using a mobile phone, disobeying traffic rules, driving against the flow of traffic or off the road, being involved in a car chase, or having poor control of the vehicle.
  2. Circumstances of driving: Circumstances surrounding the incident which may have increased the danger for road users. Aggravating circumstances would include dangerous driving during rush hour when there is heavy traffic, driving within a residential or school zone, driving a heavy vehicle which is more difficult to control and requires a quicker reaction time, or where the driver intended to travel a long distance to reach his destination.
  3. Reasons for driving: The driver’s reasons or motivations for driving dangerously. Where the dangerous driving was deliberate, there would be higher culpability as compared a driver who drove dangerously in an emergency situation.

The court has stated that where the harm caused and the driver’s culpability are both low, a fine would usually be sufficient. However, the court will usually impose a jail term where the harm caused and the driver’s culpability are both high.

The penalties for dangerous driving offences are imposed with the purpose of deterring the commission of future offences by both repeat and new offenders. Quite apart from the possible harm to people (including yourself) or damage to your car, driving dangerously is definitely not worth being fined or going to jail for.

Keep these penalties in mind when you next think about swerving in and out of traffic to get to your destination faster, or getting into a car race, or beating that red light.

Arrest and Investigation
  1. Singapore’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction: What Does It Mean?
  2. Your Right to a Lawyer After Being Arrested in Singapore
  3. What to Do If Your Loved One is Under Police Investigation
  4. How to Write a Letter of Representation to AGC in Singapore
  5. What is Entrapment and is It Legal in Singapore?
  6. What Happens When You Voluntarily Surrender to the Police
  7. Juvenile Crime: What If Your Child is Arrested in Singapore?
  8. Seized Assets in Money Laundering Investigations: What Happens To Them?
  9. Tasers, Batons, Shields & Firearms: When Do the Police Use Them?
  10. Stopped by the Singapore Police For Spot Checks, Etc: What to Do
  11. What is the Appropriate Adult Scheme in Singapore?
  12. Police Investigation Process for Crimes in Singapore (4 Steps)
  13. Arrest Warrant Issued Against You in Singapore: What to Do
  14. Police Arrest Procedure in Singapore
  15. Arrestable and Non-Arrestable Offences in Singapore
  16. What Should You Do If You Witness a Crime in Singapore?
  17. Can the Public Make a Citizen's Arrest in Singapore?
  18. What to Do If You’re Being Investigated for a Criminal Offence in Singapore
  19. "Right to Remain Silent" to Singapore Police: Does It Exist?
  20. Police Custody in Singapore: What You Should Know
  21. Search Warrant: The Issuance and Execution of It in Singapore
  22. Penalties for Lying to the Authorities in Singapore
  23. Can You Say No to a Lie Detector Test in Singapore? And Other FAQs
  24. Surrender of Passport to the Police and How to Get It Back
  25. Extradition: What If I Flee After Committing Crime in Singapore
Bail
  1. The Essential Guide to Bail and Personal Bonds in Singapore
Prosecution
  1. What is Private Prosecution?
  2. Magistrate’s Complaints, Private Summons and Private Prosecutions in Singapore
  3. Prosecutorial Discretion in Singapore
  4. Composition Offers and Fines for Criminal Offences in Singapore
  5. Plea Bargaining in Singapore: All You Need to Know
During Criminal Proceedings
  1. Making Objections at Trial in the Singapore Courts
  2. When is a Witness Testimony Unreliable in Singapore?
  3. Burden of Proof in Criminal and Civil Cases in Singapore
  4. Falsely Accused of a Crime in Singapore: Your Next Steps
  5. What is Acquittal & How Can One Be Acquitted in Singapore?
  6. Using the Defence of Diminished Responsibility in Singapore
  7. Death of a Party in a Legal Case in Singapore: What Happens?
  8. The "Unusually Convincing" Test in "He Said, She Said" Cases
  9. How to Adjourn or Postpone a Criminal Court Hearing
  10. TIC: Guide to Charges Taken Into Consideration in Singapore
  11. Can I Use the Defence of Intoxication in Singapore?
  12. When Can I Raise the Defence of Provocation in Singapore?
  13. Writing Character References For Court: What’s Their Purpose?
  14. Giving False vs. Wrong Evidence: What’s the Difference?
  15. Can I Represent Myself in a Criminal Court Case in Singapore and How?
  16. Claiming Trial as an Accused
  17. Pleading Guilty in Singapore: Consequences & Withdrawal of Plea
  18. The Defence of Unsound Mind in Singapore: What is It?
  19. Gag Orders in Singapore: Whose Identity Can be Protected?
  20. Mitigation Plea: How to Plead for Leniency in Court in Singapore
After Criminal Proceedings
  1. Recidivism: What Happens If You Reoffend in Singapore?
  2. Guide to Filing a Criminal Appeal in Singapore
  3. Criminal Motion: What is It and How to File One in Singapore
  4. Guide to Filing a Criminal Revision in Singapore
  5. Presidential Clemency in Singapore
  6. Repatriation or Deportation from Singapore: How Does It Work?
  7. Criminal Records in Singapore
  8. Visiting a Loved One in Prison or On Death Row in Singapore
  9. Getting Parole (Early Prison Release) in Singapore
Types of Sentences After Committing an Offence
  1. Fined for an Offence: What to Do If I Can't Afford to Pay Them?
  2. How Long Is Life Imprisonment in Singapore? And Other FAQs
  3. Corrective Training and Its Consequences in Singapore
  4. Consequences of Receiving a Stern Warning in Singapore
  5. Probation: Eligibility and Whether It Leaves a Criminal Record
  6. How Can Adult Offenders Get Probation in Singapore?
  7. Reformative Training in Singapore: When Will It be Ordered?
  8. Are You Eligible for a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO)?
  9. Caning in Singapore: Judicial, School & Parental Corporal Punishment
  10. 7 Detention Orders in Singapore: When Will They be Ordered?
  11. Day Reporting Order: Eligibility and Offender's Obligations
Being a Victim
  1. Ragging and Bullying: Their Penalties and What Victims Can Do
  2. Laws Protecting Informers/Whistleblowers in Singapore
  3. Counterfeit Medicine/Health Products: Redress for Victims in Singapore
  4. Breach of Protection Orders: What Can Victims Do?
  5. Using Your Right to Self-Defence When Attacked in Singapore
  6. Compensation for Crime Victims in Singapore: How to Obtain
Offences Against the Human Body
  1. Voluntarily Causing Hurt Penalties in Singapore (Non-Arrestable)
  2. Murder vs Culpable Homicide in Singapore (and Penalties)
  3. Is Suicide Illegal in Singapore? Will I Be Punished for Trying?
  4. Kidnapping Scam: Penalties & Responding to a ‘Kidnap Call/Text'
Sexual Offences
  1. Rape Laws in Singapore and How Offenders Can Be Punished
  2. Sexual Misconduct in Singapore: Offences and What Victims Can Do
  3. Falsely Accused of Rape in Singapore: What to Do
  4. Incest and Family Sexual Abuse: Penalties and Victim Protection
  5. How are Sexual Offenders with Special Needs Penalised?
  6. Cybersexual Crimes in Singapore and Their Penalties
  7. Legal Age for Sex in Singapore and Common Sexual Offences
  8. Consent in Sexual Offences in Singapore and What Victims Can Do
  9. Accused of Molest: Outrage of Modesty in Singapore
  10. What Can Victims of Sexual Harassment in Singapore Do?
  11. What is the Law on Sexting in Singapore?
  12. Revenge Porn: What If Your Nudes are Leaked in Singapore?
  13. Crime of Voyeurism in Singapore (Penalties and Defences)
  14. Date Rape: What to Do If Your Drink Has Been Unlawfully Spiked?
  15. STDs: Can I Go to the Police If a Partner Infected Me in Singapore?
Vice-Related Offences
  1. Alcohol Breathalyser Test in Singapore: Can You Refuse it?
  2. Are Sex Toys and Sex Dolls Legal in Singapore?
  3. Singapore's Legal Smoking Age & Common Smoking Offences
  4. Is Vaping Illegal in Singapore?
  5. Legal Drinking Age and Drinking-Related Laws in Singapore
  6. Is Watching, Downloading or Filming Porn Illegal in Singapore?
  7. Child Pornography in Singapore: Offences and Penalties
  8. Laws on Procuring Sex Workers & Sexual Services in Singapore
  9. Singapore's Drug Laws: Possession, Consumption and Trafficking
  10. Gambling Legally (at Home, in Public or Online) in Singapore
  11. The Offence of Human Trafficking in Singapore and Its Penalties
Property Offences
  1. Penalties For Buying Stolen Goods in Singapore
  2. Penalties for Committing Theft in Singapore
  3. Committing Robbery in Singapore: What are the Penalties?
  4. Penalties for Dishonest Misappropriation of Property in Singapore
  5. Vandalism Laws: Penalties for Damaging Property in Singapore
  6. Criminal Trespass in Singapore: What Happens If You’re Caught?
  7. Penalties for Littering Offences in Singapore
Cybercrime
  1. What is a POFMA Correction Direction and How to Appeal
  2. Penalties for Cheating/Scamming and What Victims Can Do
  3. Penalties for Impersonating Someone and Victim Redress
  4. Singapore Fake News Laws: Guide to POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act)
  5. Laws and Penalties for Doxxing in Singapore (With Examples)
White-Collar Crimes
  1. Tax Evasion in Singapore: Penalties and Examples
  2. Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) in Singapore: What is It?
  3. All You Need to Know About Corruption in Singapore
  4. Anti-Money Laundering Laws and You
  5. 5 Things You Need to Know about Insider Trading
  6. Dishonest Assistance and Knowing Receipt: The Case of David Rasif
Road Offences
  1. Charged with a Traffic Offence in Singapore: What to Do
  2. DUI: Here are the Penalties for Drink-Driving in Singapore
  3. What Happens If You’re Caught Speeding in Singapore?
  4. Road Rage: What is It and How are Offenders Sentenced in Singapore
  5. Penalties for Dangerous Driving for Singapore Drivers
  6. Fatal Traffic Accidents: Are Drivers Always Punished?
  7. Guide to E-Scooter and PMD Laws for Singapore Riders
  8. Is it Legal for Drivers to Carpool in Singapore?
Animal-Related Offences
  1. Taxidermy of Animals in Singapore: Is It Legal?
  2. Legal and Illegal Pets in Singapore (HDB/Private Property)
  3. Is It Illegal to Feed Stray Animals in Singapore?
  4. Singapore Animal Abuse Offences, Penalties & How to Report
Offences Relating to Public Peace and Good Order
  1. Radicalisation and Terror Attack-Related Penalties in Singapore
  2. Causing a Public Nuisance in Singapore: What are the Penalties?
  3. Causing Public Alarm in Singapore: Examples & Penalties
  4. Public Assemblies and Processions in Singapore
  5. Misbehaving in Public: 5 Things You Need to Know
  6. Racial Enmity: Sections 298 and 298A Penal Code Explained
  7. Religious Cults in Singapore: Are they Illegal? Penalties & More
  8. Penalties for Financing Terrorist Operations in Singapore
Gang and Riot-related Offences
  1. Penalties for Unlawful Assembly and Rioting in Singapore
  2. Is Joining a Gang Illegal in Singapore?: Being Recruited and Penalties
  3. Organised Crimes: Penalties/Orders Syndicates Face in Singapore
Marriage-Related Offences
  1. Bigamy: Is It Legal to Marry a Married Person in Singapore?
  2. Marriage Offences in Singapore Involving Minors, Same-Sex, Etc.
  3. What are Sham Marriages and Are They Illegal in Singapore?
Certificate of Clearance
  1. How Do You Apply for a Certificate of Clearance in Singapore?
Other Criminal Offences
  1. Penalties for Abetting Minors or Committing Crimes Against Them
  2. Misusing the Singapore Flag and Other National Symbols
  3. Here are the Penalties for Committing Forgery in Singapore
  4. Arson and Fire-Related Offences and Their Penalties in Singapore
  5. Offences Against the Dead and What Family Members Can Do
  6. Laws on Prohibited, Replica and Self-Defence Weapons
  7. Laws to Tackle High-Rise Littering in Singapore
  8. Penalties for Attempting to Commit a Crime in Singapore
  9. Penalties for Assaulting a Person in Singapore
  10. Expats Charged With Offences in Singapore: What to Expect
  11. What are the Penalties for Hiring Phantom Workers in Singapore?
  12. What Are Ponzi Schemes? Are They Illegal in Singapore?
  13. Modification of Cars, Motorcycles, Etc: Is It Legal in Singapore?
  14. Penalties for Illegal Immigration and Overstaying in Singapore
  15. Criminal Intimidation: Penalties for Making Threats in Singapore