PUBLISHED ONOctober 02, 2025 1:55 PMBYSean LerMotorists and cargo drivers may see Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducting breath tests on them at Singapore's land and land-based sea checkpoints and their vicinities from Friday (Oct 3).
Those who fail the test will be arrested and handed over to the police for follow-up action.
Under the law, it is an offence to refuse to comply with the administration of a breath test.
First-time offenders may be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Thursday (Oct 2) that the new powers will enable ICA to protect public safety and strengthen protective security measures across the land and sea checkpoints.
The new powers are part of phased implementation of the amendments to the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, which were passed in Parliament in January.
MHA said that the amendments were introduced to recalibrate the balance between deterrence and proportion for road traffic offences and enhance the powers to enforce against errant motorists.
In the first seven months of the year, 1,023 persons were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol — an increase of 6.6 per cent from the same period in 2024.
As part of ongoing efforts to enhance drink-driving enforcement capabilities, Traffic Police are trialling the use of a handheld breath evidential analyser in their enforcement operations since Sept 5.
On June 25, 32-year-old Malaysian Guo Jiahuang, who was planning to register his marriage to his girlfriend in 2026, was left in a coma after an accident with two cars along the Seletar Expressway towards the Central Expressway.
A 30-year-old male car driver was arrested for drink driving and driving without due care and attention.
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