Written Reply to PQ on Drivers Caught for Not Securing Passengers Below 1.35M in Height and the Use of Child Car Seats and Booster Seats, by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang : To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the past five years, how many drivers have been caught for not properly securing passengers who are below 1.35 meters in height with an approved child restraint; (b) how does the Ministry plan to raise awareness about the legal requirement and safety benefits of using child car seats and booster seats; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to strengthen legislation on the requirement to use such seats.

Answer:

1. The number of violations where passengers below 1.35 metres in height were not properly secured with an approved child restraint or body-restraining seat belt are appended at Table 1 .

Table 1 : Number of violations for not properly restraining passengers below 1.35m from 2015 to 2019

*Data for 2019 is provisional

2. In its talks and engagements with the community, Traffic Police (TP) regularly emphasises the need for drivers and passengers to be properly secured. TP also conducts regular enforcement actions. Under the Road Traffic Act, drivers will be guilty of an offence if they fail to ensure that passengers below the height of 1.35 metres wear an approved child restraint or body-restraining seat belt. The composition sums for this offence were raised on 1 April 2019 from $120 to $150 for light vehicles, and from $150 to $200 for heavy vehicles. Offenders will also receive three demerit points.

3. As the composition sums for the offence were recently increased, MHA will monitor the situation and consider further action where necessary.