Drink Driving
Drinking will impair your driving to some extent and reduce your co-ordination - turning avoidable hazards into potentially lethal ones. Black coffee, swimming or exercise as well as vitamins or hangover cures won't reduce the level of alcohol in your system. The more you drink the slower your reflexes and this means that you will lose the ability to maintain proper control of your vehicle.
The consequence of drinking and driving don't end with legal action. Being disqualified from driving means inconvenience and incurring of extra travel costs. If your job involves driving, you could be out of work.
When you drink and drive, you end up facing penalties that will scar you for life, and living with guilt of having put your life and other road users at risk.
You may think that you are still sober enough to drive after drinking, but we have seen too many cases where drink drivers caused the death of their loved ones and innocent parties. We have seen too much misery caused by drink driving. Therefore, please do not let your night of fun and enjoyment result in a lifetime of guilt and regret.
Take public transport or a taxi instead, or arrange for someone to drive you home. Don't leave things to chance. Just don't drink and drive.
Take Note
If you have consumed alcoholic drinks at any place or event, do not drive. Get a friend who is sober to drive you home. Better yet, leave your car at home and use public transport (MRT, bus or taxi) to go home.
If you are the host of an event, ensure that all your guests do not drive home after they have consumed alcoholic drinks. Arrange for someone to drive them home, or hire a taxi. Never pressure someone to drink if you know that the person will be driving home later. You may be indirectly responsible for any possible traffic accident.
Legislation
The Traffic Police highlighted that many motorists are unclear about the drink driving law in Singapore. Under the Road Traffic Act, a person can be convicted of drink driving in two instances.
If the driver is found with more than the legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millitres of breath, or more than 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millitres of blood, he/she is deemed to have broken the law and it does not matter whether the driver has perfect control of the vehicle, when caught.
Even when the alcohol level is under the legal limit, the driver can still be convicted if it is shown that he/she did not have proper control of the vehicle as a result of alcoholic intoxication.
Examples
A driver who is seen driving in a zig-zag manner may have a breath sample registering an alcohol level within the legal limit. But he will still be liable for conviction.
A driver who causes an accident by ramming into a stationary vehicle, for instance, can be liable for a drink-driving conviction, even though his breath-alcohol level falls within the legal limit.
Penalties
First Time – Drink driver will be fined between $1000/- and $5000/- or six months imprisonment.
Second Time – Drink driver will be fined between $3000/- and $10,000/- fine and imprisonment for a term of up to one year.
Repeated Time – Drink Driver will face enhanced punishment up to 3 times the penalty, a maximum of $30,000/- fine and three years' imprisonment.
Offenders causing death or serious injuries can also be caned up to 6 strokes.
All those convicted will be disqualified from driving for at least 1 year, even if they have not caused any traffic accidents.
Credit source: Here
