Statute Details
- Title: Highway (Revision No. 2) Code 2019
- Full Title: (as published) Highway (Revision No. 2) Code 2019
- Act Code: RTA1961-3173-2019
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Status: Current version (as at 27 Mar 2026)
- Authorising Act: Road Traffic Act (Chapter 276)
- Enacting authority: Minister for Home Affairs (pursuant to section 112 of the Road Traffic Act)
- Commencement: 1 December 2019
- Key amendments (highlights from the extract): Deletion and substitution of multiple Highway Code paragraphs, including:
- Paragraph 27: Mandatory use of pedestrian overpasses/underpasses
- Paragraph 44A: Choice rule for crossings for pedal cyclists/power-assisted bicycles/personal mobility devices
- Paragraph 44C: Prohibition on riding personal mobility devices and driving mobility scooters/motorised wheelchairs on any road
- Paragraph 45: Licence and insurance requirements before driving a motor vehicle
- Paragraph 69 / 69A (from metadata): Stopping distance awareness and junction approach obligations
- Legislative instrument number: SL 3173/2019 (dated 1 Dec 2019)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Highway (Revision No. 2) Code 2019 is a Singapore subsidiary legislative instrument that revises the Highway Code. It is issued by the Minister for Home Affairs under the Road Traffic Act, using the statutory power to promulgate a “Code” for road users. In practical terms, the Code sets out behavioural expectations and safety rules for different categories of road users—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers—covering how they should move, where they should cross, and what precautions they must take.
Although the Highway Code is often described as “guidance”, this particular revision is enacted through a formal legal instrument and therefore forms part of the legally relevant framework that road users are expected to follow. For practitioners, the key point is that the Code is not merely advisory in a vacuum: it is integrated into the regulatory ecosystem governing road safety and can be used in enforcement contexts (for example, to establish what a reasonable road user should have done, or to interpret duties under the Road Traffic Act and related subsidiary rules).
Revision No. 2 focuses on updating specific provisions. From the extract, the amendments are particularly concentrated on pedestrian crossing behaviour (including the “kerb drill” reference), visibility and lighting for cyclists at night, and—most notably—the rules governing crossings and the use of personal mobility devices, mobility scooters, and motorised wheelchairs. It also updates general driving prerequisites, including the requirement to hold a valid driving licence and maintain insurance before driving a motor vehicle.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1) Pedestrians: where and how to walk and cross
The revision replaces and refines several pedestrian-focused paragraphs. If there is no footpath and a person must walk along the road, the Code requires the pedestrian to walk as close as possible to the edge of the road. It also expressly discourages distraction by stating that pedestrians should avoid using any mobile communication device while walking along the road. This is a modern safety emphasis: the Code links pedestrian conduct to situational awareness and visibility to motorists.
For crossing, the Code provides a structured approach. Where a pedestrian crossing is available, the pedestrian must use it. Where it is not available, the pedestrian must cross by the shortest possible route, from one side to the other, and must not “risk death or injury” by attempting to cross at other places in heavy traffic. The Code also requires obedience to traffic signs and traffic lights. Two additional safety requirements are introduced for crossing: (i) ensure a clear view of the road both ways, taking extra care where visibility is limited by stationary vehicles or obstructions; and (ii) avoid using any mobile communication device while crossing.
2) Mandatory use of pedestrian overpasses and underpasses
One of the most operationally significant changes is the replacement of paragraph 27. It states that where there is a pedestrian overpass or an underpass, the road user must make use of it. The Code characterises these structures as being built for the pedestrian’s safety and therefore “must always be used” when crossing the road. For practitioners, this is a clear, categorical duty rather than a “should” or “may” rule. In enforcement or liability analysis, such language supports the argument that bypassing an overpass/underpass is a breach of an express safety requirement.
3) Pedestrian crossings: stopping, “green man”, and eye contact
The revision also tightens behavioural expectations at pedestrian crossings. It provides that a pedestrian must not step onto a pedestrian crossing until approaching vehicles have come to a complete stop. It further instructs pedestrians to be alert for vehicles being driven inconsiderately or without care or attention. If possible, pedestrians should make eye contact with drivers to ensure drivers are aware of the pedestrian’s presence. Similarly, for traffic lights with a “green man” signal, the Code states that the pedestrian should not cross until the signal appears, and again suggests eye contact where possible.
4) Cyclists and visibility at night
The revision replaces paragraph 39 to update lighting and visibility requirements for bicycles at night or when visibility is low. It requires that a bicycle’s front light show a white light and that the rear display a red light or a red reflector. The Code further requires that the front and rear red/reflector elements be visible from a reasonable distance. It also adds a clothing visibility instruction: if riding at night, wear light-coloured clothing to help drivers and pedestrians see the cyclist clearly. This provision is important for both compliance and risk assessment: inadequate lighting is a common contributory factor in collisions involving cyclists.
5) Crossings for pedal cyclists, power-assisted bicycles, and personal mobility devices
Paragraph 44A is introduced/updated under the new Part heading “USE OF CROSSINGS, AND USE OF PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES, ETC.” It provides that pedal cyclists, riders of power-assisted bicycles, and personal mobility device users, as well as drivers of mobility scooters or motorised wheelchairs, must use a bicycle crossing if there is a choice between using a bicycle crossing or a pedestrian crossing. This is a “preference” rule that also operates as a duty: where both options exist, the bicycle crossing is the required choice.
6) Personal mobility devices, mobility scooters, and motorised wheelchairs: prohibition on use on any road
The revision introduces paragraph 44C, which states: “Do not ride a personal mobility device, or drive a mobility scooter or a motorised wheelchair, on any road.” This is a sweeping prohibition in the text provided. For legal practitioners, this raises immediate interpretive and compliance questions: whether the prohibition is absolute or whether other instruments (for example, later amendments, exemptions, or definitions within the Road Traffic Act and related subsidiary rules) carve out permitted categories or authorised contexts. Even if paragraph 44C is intended to be absolute within the Highway Code framework, practitioners should cross-check the current legal regime governing personal mobility devices and mobility scooters, because the Highway Code may interact with more specific regulatory rules.
7) Driving a motor vehicle: licence and insurance
Paragraph 45 is replaced to emphasise that before driving any motor vehicle on the road for which a driving licence is required, a person must have a valid driving licence authorising them to drive that motor vehicle and must be covered by valid insurance in respect of that motor vehicle. This is a foundational compliance requirement. While the Road Traffic Act and related regulations typically contain the primary legal duties, the Highway Code’s restatement is useful for practitioners because it consolidates the “front-end” compliance expectations in one place for road users and can be used to support arguments about what a driver should have known and done before driving.
8) Stopping distance and junction approach (from the revision metadata)
The metadata indicates that paragraph 69 was deleted and substituted, and a new paragraph 69A was introduced. These provisions, as described, focus on safe driving awareness: paragraph 69 addresses that stopping distance consists of the distance travelled during driver reaction plus braking distance (and that stopping distance varies with speed and other factors). Paragraph 69A addresses approaching a junction and requires observation of specified safety steps. Even though the extract does not reproduce the full text of these paragraphs, their inclusion signals a policy emphasis on dynamic risk assessment rather than fixed assumptions about stopping distances.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Highway (Revision No. 2) Code 2019 is structured as an amending instrument. It does not replace the entire Highway Code wholesale; instead, it uses an enacting formula that sequentially deletes, substitutes, and amends particular paragraphs and headings. The extract shows a pattern: paragraphs are deleted and replaced with updated text, and new paragraphs (such as 44C) are inserted under newly created Part headings.
From the extract, the revision also reorganises the Highway Code’s internal structure. It inserts a new Part heading (“USE OF CROSSINGS, AND USE OF PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES, ETC.”) and amends the heading to Part IV to “ROAD USERS ON WHEELS.” It also deletes and substitutes paragraph 45 and updates other provisions across the Code. For practitioners, this means that the legal “map” of duties is best understood by reading the current Highway Code as amended, rather than relying solely on the revision instrument’s text.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Highway Code, as revised, applies to road users in Singapore. In the provisions highlighted, it clearly targets pedestrians (walking and crossing rules), cyclists (lighting and night visibility), and drivers of motor vehicles (licence and insurance prerequisites). It also addresses users of personal mobility devices, power-assisted bicycles, mobility scooters, and motorised wheelchairs, particularly in relation to crossings and—under paragraph 44C—road use.
Because the Code is written in behavioural terms (“must” and “do not”), it is relevant to anyone who falls within the defined categories of road users. Practitioners should also consider that the Code may be used in interpreting conduct in civil claims (e.g., contributory negligence) and in administrative or enforcement contexts, even where the primary statutory offences or penalties are contained in the Road Traffic Act or other subsidiary legislation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This revision is important because it updates safety-critical rules that directly affect everyday conduct on Singapore roads. The mandatory use of pedestrian overpasses and underpasses (paragraph 27) is a clear compliance trigger: it reduces pedestrian exposure to vehicle conflict points and supports enforcement and liability analysis where pedestrians cross outside designated safe infrastructure.
The pedestrian crossing provisions (including the “complete stop” requirement and the “green man” rule) also reflect a practical safety logic: pedestrians should not enter the crossing until vehicles are fully stopped and should not rely on assumptions about driver behaviour. The eye-contact suggestion is not a legal substitute for traffic control devices, but it reinforces the Code’s emphasis on ensuring mutual awareness.
Finally, the provisions relating to personal mobility devices and mobility scooters/motorised wheelchairs are highly significant. Paragraph 44A’s bicycle-crossing preference and paragraph 44C’s prohibition on riding/driving these devices on any road (as stated in the extract) are likely to have immediate compliance implications for users and operators. For legal practitioners, these provisions warrant careful cross-referencing with the current regulatory framework governing personal mobility devices, including definitions, permitted routes, licensing or authorisation requirements (if any), and any exemptions. Where the Highway Code appears to impose an absolute prohibition, practitioners should verify whether other subsidiary rules or later amendments qualify that position.
Related Legislation
- Road Traffic Act (Chapter 276)
- Road Traffic (Traffic Signs) Rules (referenced in the revision as R 33)
- Highway Code (as amended) (including the provisions revised by this instrument)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Highway (Revision No. 2) Code 2019 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.