Part of a comprehensive analysis of the Road Traffic Act 1961
All Parts in This Series
- PART 1
- PART 1
- PART 2
- PART 3
- PART 4
- PART 5
- PART 6 (this article)
- PART 7
- Part 2
- Part 1
- Part 2
- PART 1
- PART 2
- PART 3
- PART 4
- PART 5
Key Provisions and Their Purpose in the Road Traffic Act 1961
The Road Traffic Act 1961 sets out comprehensive provisions to regulate the use of roads, ensuring safety, orderliness, and efficient traffic management. Below are the key provisions and their underlying purposes:
"The Minister may prepare a code (called in this section the highway code) comprising directions that appear to the Minister to be proper for the guidance of persons using roads and may revise the code..." — Section 112, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 112 in source document →
Purpose: This provision empowers the Minister to create and update the Highway Code, which serves as a fundamental guide for all road users. The Highway Code provides standardized directions to promote safe and responsible use of roads, reducing accidents and confusion.
"The Deputy Commissioner of Police, with the concurrence of the Minister, may by order in the Gazette prohibit or restrict... the driving of vehicles... on any specified road..." — Section 113, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 113 in source document →
Purpose: This section allows authorities to impose restrictions on vehicle use on certain roads to ensure safety and suitability. For example, roads that are structurally weak or under maintenance can be protected from heavy traffic, preventing accidents and damage.
"The Minister may make rules to prohibit or restrict the use of any special road by any traffic or class of traffic..." — Section 114, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 114 in source document →
Purpose: This provision regulates traffic on special roads, which may include expressways or roads designated for specific types of vehicles. It helps in managing traffic flow and ensuring that only appropriate vehicles use certain roads, enhancing safety and efficiency.
"The Authority may... restrict or prohibit the use of that road or any part thereof by vehicles... by reason of any construction works or works of repair..." — Section 115, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 115 in source document →
Purpose: This section enables the management of traffic during road construction or repair works. By restricting or prohibiting vehicle use, it protects both the workers and road users, and facilitates timely completion of works.
"No competition or trial of speed involving the use of vehicles may take place on a road except under, and in accordance with the conditions of, a permit..." — Section 116, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 116 in source document →
Purpose: This provision regulates competitions and speed trials on public roads to prevent reckless driving and ensure public safety. Permits ensure that such events are controlled and conducted under safe conditions.
"The Authority may cause or permit traffic signs to be drawn, placed or erected and maintained on or near any road..." — Section 119, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 119 in source document →
Purpose: Traffic signs are essential for guiding and directing road users. This section authorizes the placement and maintenance of such signs to facilitate safe and orderly traffic movement.
"Any person driving or propelling any vehicle must stop the vehicle or make it proceed... when directed to do so by the police officer, employee of the Authority or security officer..." — Section 120, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 120 in source document →
Purpose: This provision ensures compliance with lawful directions from authorized personnel, which is crucial for maintaining order and safety on the roads.
"Crossings for pedestrians... may be established on roads... The Minister may make rules with respect to the precedence of vehicles and pedestrians..." — Section 121, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 121 in source document →
Purpose: This section regulates pedestrian crossings to safeguard pedestrians and clarify right-of-way rules, thereby reducing accidents involving pedestrians.
"If any person in charge of a vehicle causes or permits the vehicle... to remain at rest on any road in such a position... as to be likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience... the person shall be guilty of an offence..." — Section 122, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 122 in source document →
Purpose: This provision prevents vehicles from being left in hazardous or obstructive positions on roads, which could endanger other road users or cause traffic congestion.
"Where a vehicle... is parked or permitted to stand on any road in contravention... an enforcement officer... may require the owner... to remove the vehicle; remove the vehicle... or immobilise the vehicle." — Section 123, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123 in source document →
Purpose: This section empowers enforcement officers to deal with illegally parked or abandoned vehicles, ensuring that roads remain clear and safe for traffic.
"A police officer in uniform may stop and arrest any person... who within the police officer’s view commits an offence under this Act or the rules." — Section 127, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 127 in source document →
Purpose: This provision grants police officers the authority to enforce the Act effectively by stopping and arresting offenders, thereby upholding road safety and legal compliance.
Definitions in the Road Traffic Act 1961 and Their Significance
Understanding the precise definitions within the Act is critical for interpreting and applying its provisions correctly. The following definitions clarify key terms used throughout the legislation:
"“special road” means any road specified in the rules made under this section to be a special road, and includes any part of a special road;" "“traffic” includes pedestrians;" "“use”, in relation to a road, includes crossing." — Section 114(4), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 114 in source document →
Significance: These definitions broaden the scope of regulation to include pedestrians and crossing activities, ensuring comprehensive traffic management on special roads.
"“excluded vehicle” means a vehicle which is prescribed by rules made under subsection (1) to be an excluded vehicle for the purpose of this section;" "“expressway” means any road that is prescribed by rules made under subsection (1) to be an expressway for the purpose of this section;" "“use”, in relation to an expressway, includes crossing." — Section 114A(3), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 114A in source document →
Significance: These definitions help delineate the types of roads and vehicles subject to specific regulations, facilitating targeted traffic control on expressways.
"“placed in a proper position” means placed in such a position either on or near the bridge or on or near the road leading to the bridge as to be visible at a reasonable distance from the bridge to the drivers of vehicles approaching it;" "“weight” means the actual weight of the vehicle at the time including the weight of every person and thing carried by it;" "the weight transmitted by a vehicle to any transverse strip of the road surface 152.4 centimetres in breadth is taken as being an “axle weight” of that vehicle and for the purposes of this paragraph a vehicle and any trailer drawn thereby is deemed to be a single vehicle." — Section 118(3), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 118 in source document →
Significance: These definitions are essential for enforcing weight restrictions on bridges, protecting infrastructure from damage and ensuring safety.
"“traffic sign” includes all signals, warning sign posts, direction posts, signs, lines or other devices for the guidance or direction of persons using roads, but does not include warning signs or other devices temporarily set up by any Government department to indicate that road work is in progress." — Section 119(7), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 119 in source document →
Significance: This definition clarifies what constitutes a traffic sign, ensuring consistent interpretation and enforcement of traffic control measures.
"“enforcement officer” means a police officer or an employee of the Authority;" "“immobilise”, in relation to a vehicle, means to prevent the removal of the vehicle by fixing to the vehicle a device or appliance which is designed or adapted for the purpose of preventing the removal of the vehicle." — Section 123(10), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123 in source document →
Significance: These definitions empower enforcement officers with specific authority and methods to manage illegally parked or abandoned vehicles effectively.
"“expressway” means any road which is prescribed by the Minister by order in the Gazette to be an expressway for the purposes of this section;" "“parking charges” means the charges which are fixed or deemed fixed under section 9 of the Parking Places Act 1974 as being payable by the owner of a vehicle for the use of any parking place." — Section 123A(12), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123A in source document →
Significance: These definitions assist in regulating parking and expressway use, linking the Road Traffic Act with other relevant legislation.
"“approved person”, in relation to any bus or bus interchange, means any of the following individuals who is authorised by the Authority in writing to exercise any power under this section at or in relation to the bus or bus interchange concerned: (a) an officer or employee of the Authority; (b) a member of an auxiliary police force in uniform; (c) an employee of a bus operator... or a bus interchange operator...; (d) a security officer...; (e) an outsourced enforcement officer;" "“bus interchange” means a terminal or station with purpose‑built facilities for the commencement or termination of one or more bus services and for the boarding or alighting of bus passengers;" "“bus passenger”, in relation to any bus, means an individual carried on board the bus, and includes (a) an individual boarding or intending to board the bus for the purpose of travelling on board the bus as a passenger; and (b) a driver, fare collector or an inspector while carrying out work or on duty on board the bus in that capacity, or intending to board the bus for the purpose of carrying out that work or duty;" "“entrant”, in relation to any bus interchange, means an individual who is about to enter the bus interchange, and includes an individual who is within the bus interchange, whether or not a bus passenger;" "“frisk search” means a search of an individual conducted by quickly running the hands over the individual’s outer clothing;" "“hand‑held scanner” means a device that may be passed over or around an individual or an individual’s personal property to detect metal, dangerous objects or explosive or other hazardous substances;" "“identification card”, in relation to an outsourced enforcement officer, means an identification card issued under section 11(3) of the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act 1995 to the officer;" "“inspecting an article” includes handling the article, opening it and examining or moving its contents;" "“personal property”, in relation to an individual, means things carried by the individual or things apparently in the immediate control of the individual, but does not include clothing being worn by the individual;" "“senior approved person”, in relation to any bus or bus interchange, means an approved person who is authorised by the Authority in writing to exercise any power under this section at or in relation to the bus or bus interchange concerned, as follows: (a) a member of an auxiliary police force in uniform; (b) a security officer...; (c) an outsourced enforcement officer." — Section 127B(9), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 127B in source document →
Significance: These detailed definitions facilitate the regulation and enforcement of security and order within bus interchanges, protecting passengers and public transport infrastructure.
"“dangerous item” means any of the following: (a) any pistol, gun, stun gun, taser, firearm or other object or a thing that... is or was capable of being aimed at a target and causing hurt or injury...; (b) a marine flare and signal...; (c) a firework, grenade, ammunition or any explosive device or explosive substance; (d) an axe, or a sword, dagger, spear or spearhead; (e) any petroleum or any substance prescribed to be a flammable material...; (f) a hazardous substance or corrosive substance; (g) any other article or substance which is capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment and is prescribed under section 140 by the Minister as a dangerous item." — Section 127C(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 127C in source document →
Significance: This definition is crucial for identifying prohibited items that pose risks in public transport and road environments, enabling effective security enforcement.
"“authorised officer” means any employee of the Authority or any other person who is duly authorised by the Registrar in writing to exercise the powers conferred on an authorised officer under this section;" "“prescribed offence” means any offence under this Act or the rules that is prescribed by the Minister as an offence to which this section applies." — Section 127A(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 127A in source document →
Significance: These definitions empower authorised officers with specific enforcement powers, ensuring that prescribed offences under the Act are effectively policed.
Penalties for Non-Compliance under the Road Traffic Act 1961
The Act provides for a range of penalties to enforce compliance and deter violations. These penalties reflect the seriousness of the offences and aim to maintain road safety and order.
"A failure on the part of any person to observe any provision of the highway code shall not of itself render that person liable to criminal proceedings of any kind, but the failure may... be relied upon... as tending to establish or to negative any liability..." — Section 112(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 112 in source document →
Explanation: While non-compliance with the Highway Code is not directly criminal, it can be used as evidence in legal proceedings, encouraging adherence without criminalising minor infractions.
"Any person who uses a vehicle or causes or permits a vehicle to be used in contravention of an order made under this section shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 113(6), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 113 in source document →
Explanation: This penalty ensures that restrictions on road use are respected, protecting road integrity and public safety.
"Any person who uses or causes or permits the use of a vehicle in contravention of any restriction or prohibition imposed under this section shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 115(8), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 115 in source document →
Explanation: This enforces compliance with traffic management during road works, preventing hazards and delays.
"Any person who promotes or takes part in any competition or trial of speed that is in contravention of subsection (1)... shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months and shall also be punished with a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years and with a fine not exceeding $10,000." — Section 116(7), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 116 in source document →
Explanation: The severe penalties reflect the high risk posed by illegal speed competitions, deterring dangerous driving behaviours.
"Any police officer may arrest without warrant any person committing an offence under subsection (7) and may seize and detain... any vehicle used in or taking part in any competition or trial of speed that is in contravention of subsection (1)." — Section 116(8), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 116 in source document →
Explanation: This provision equips police with immediate powers to prevent ongoing offences and remove dangerous vehicles from the roads.
"If... a vehicle is driven across a bridge in contravention of this section, any person who so drives it or causes or permits it to be so driven... shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $400 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $1,000." — Section 118(6), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 118 in source document →
Explanation: This penalty protects bridges from damage caused by overweight vehicles, preserving infrastructure safety.
"Any person wilfully and unlawfully damaging, moving, defacing, altering or otherwise interfering with, any traffic sign shall be guilty of an offence..." — Section 119(8), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 119 in source document →
Explanation: Traffic signs are vital for road safety; this provision deters vandalism and interference that could endanger road users.
"Any person who fails to comply with subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 120(4), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 120 in source document →
Explanation: This enforces obedience to lawful directions by authorized personnel, essential for effective traffic control.
"Any person who contravenes any of the rules made under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction— (a) if the offence was committed by the person in his or her capacity as the driver of a vehicle, to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months; and (b) in any other case, to a fine not exceeding $100." — Section 121(6), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 121 in source document →
Explanation: These penalties regulate pedestrian crossing rules, protecting vulnerable road users.
"The person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both." — Section 122, Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 122 in source document →
Explanation: This provision deters dangerous or obstructive parking, maintaining road safety and traffic flow.
"A person shall be guilty of an offence if the person— (a) without reasonable excuse, fails to remove the person’s vehicle when required to do so by an enforcement officer...; or (b) without being authorised... removes, attempts to remove or tampers with... any notice... any vehicle... the immobilisation device..." — Section 123(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123 in source document →
Explanation: This ensures cooperation with enforcement actions and prevents tampering that could undermine traffic management efforts.
"Any person who refuses to allow the employee or agent to exercise his or her power under subsection (1) or who obstructs the exercise of the power... shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 123A(1A), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123A in source document →
Explanation: This provision supports enforcement officers in carrying out their duties without obstruction.
"Any person who without the authority of an employee of the Authority removes any vehicle from a parking place... or otherwise tampers with the vehicle shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 123A(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 123A in source document →
Explanation: This protects vehicles lawfully immobilised or impounded, ensuring enforcement measures are respected.
"Any person driving a motor vehicle must stop the motor vehicle on being so required by a police officer in uniform, and if the person fails to do so he or she shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 127(5), Road Traffic Act 1961
Verify Section 127 in source document →
Explanation: This provision is fundamental for police enforcement and public safety, ensuring drivers comply with lawful stop orders.
"Any person who— (a) refuses to furnish any evidence of identity required...; or (b) wilfully furnishes... any information that is false, shall be guilty of an offence." — Section 127A(2), Road Traffic Act 1961
Explanation: This provision ensures truthful cooperation with authorised officers during investigations or enforcement actions.
Conclusion
The Road Traffic Act 1961 establishes a robust legal framework to regulate road use, promote safety, and empower enforcement authorities. Its key provisions, definitions, and penalties work synergistically to manage traffic effectively, protect infrastructure, and safeguard all road users. Understanding these elements is essential for compliance and for appreciating the rationale behind Singapore’s traffic laws.
Sections Covered in This Analysis
- Section 112
- Section 113
- Section 114
- Section 114A
- Section 115
- Section 116
- Section 118
- Section 119
- Section 120
- Section 121
- Section 122
- Section 123
- Section 123A
- Section 126
- Section 127
- Section 127A
- Section 127B
- Section 127C
Source Documents
For the authoritative text, consult SSO.