11 motorists arrested for drink-driving in island-wide operation

SINGAPORE - The traffic police have arrested 11 motorists for drink-driving in an island-wide operation conducted in the early hours of Friday morning.

The police said in a statement today that 45 drivers were stopped and tested for alcohol consumption at various road blocks set up across Singapore.

A total of 11 motorists, 10 men and 1 woman, aged between 25 and 54, failed the breath analyser test and were arrested for drink-driving.

The highest Breath Evidential Analyser (BEA) test result was 92 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than two times the prescribed legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

If convicted of drink-driving, the motorists will be disqualified from driving for at least 12 months. They will also lose their driving licences and will have to retake driving tests in order to obtain their driving licenses again.

First time offenders of drink-driving face a fine between $1,000 and $5,000 and their driving licences may be disqualified for a period of 12 to 48 months, depending on their BEA test results.

Repeat offenders may be punished with a maximum fine of $30,000 and a jail term of up to three years. They may also be caned up to six strokes if they caused death or serious injury to others.

minlee@sph.com.sg