PUBLISHED ONNovember 24, 2025 4:59 AMBYSean LerLorry owners who do not have speed limiters installed on their vehicles once the statutory deadline to do so kicks in on Jan 1, 2026, may be charged in court, said the Traffic Police (TP) on Monday (Nov 24).
The non-compliant lorries will also be prohibited from being driven and their road tax cannot be renewed.
The move towards "strict enforcement actions" comes after "extensive measures" to engage engage and remind fleet owners of the requirement through SMSes, emails and letters, said TP.
As of Nov 14, some 30 per cent of these vehicles — 765 out of 2,525 lorries — have yet to have speed limiters installed.
Under the current law, heavy vehicles weighing over 12,000kg must be fitted with a speed limiter device. The law has been in place since 1999.
To further enhance road safety, TP announced in 2023 that it would extend this requirement to older lorries weighing between 3,501kg and 12,000kg.
Lorries registered before Jan 1, 2018, and weighing between 5,001kg and 12,000kg must be fitted with speed limiters by Jan 1, 2026.
Owners of such models weighing between 3,501kg to 5,000kg will have until July 1, 2026, to do so.
Meanwhile, newer lorries registered after Jan 1, 2018, must be fitted with the devices by Jan 1, 2027, or July 1, 2027, depending on their weight.
A speed limiter is designed to limit the maximum speed that a vehicle can go. It works by controlling and restricting the vehicle's power output and accelerator movement to ensure that it does not breach the set limit.
Speed limiters need to be calibrated and installed by authorised agents appointed by the police, and sealed to prevent tampering.
In its news release on Monday, the police also said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will table amendments to the law in 2026 to raise the maximum penalty for offences relating to speed limiters from $1,000 to $10,000.
The proposed amendments will cover both non-compliance to the statutory deadline and tampering with speed limiters.
From Jan 1, 2026, companies whose drivers are caught speeding in lorries will also be issued with a remedial order (RO) under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for committing an unsafe act at work.
The RO will require the company to install speed limiters across all their remaining lorries ahead of their statutory deadlines. Non-compliance will result in fines of up to $50,000.
Companies found operating lorries without speed limiters will also be flagged during bizSAFE certification.
This may result in such companies being unable to obtain or renew their certification, which is a prerequisite for many government-related tenders.
Checks by AsiaOne on the Workplace Safety and Health Council's website shows a prominent message at the top reminding companies that risk management audits will now include verification checks on speed limiters installed in lorries.
Companies are also incentivised for early adoption with Enterprise Singapore's productivity solutions grant for a time-limited period between Oct 1, 2025, and March 31, 2027. During this period, local small and medium enterprises can receive funding of up to 50 per cent of the eligible costs should they choose to adopt early, ahead of the statutory deadlines.
On Sept 14, TP also announced that learners from companies that have installed speed limiters on their lorries will be prioritised for enrolment in Class 4 driving lessons.
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