3,283 drink-drivers disqualified from driving between 2023 and 2025; 40 handed lifetime ban

Singapore authorities disqualified 3,283 individuals from driving between 2023 and 2025 due to drink-driving offenses, averaging three people per day. Senior Minister K. Shanmugam informed Parliament that 40 of these motorists received lifetime driving bans. The average disqualification period for the remaining offenders was 38 months.

During the same period, 5,176 people were arrested for drink-driving, with 3,020 facing fines averaging about $5,200. A total of 647 offenders were incarcerated, with an average sentence of 45 days. Arrest and sentencing statistics are not directly comparable, as investigations and court proceedings may extend beyond the initial year.

In the first eight months of 2025, 1,173 individuals were arrested for drink-driving, up from 1,130 in the same period of 2024. This year saw 156 accidents, including 12 fatal crashes, attributable to drink-driving.

A new law passed in August 2025 reduced the alcohol limit for drivers from 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath to 15mcg. The blood alcohol limit was also lowered from 80 milligrams per 100ml to 30mg. Consequently, first-time offenders with very high blood alcohol levels may face up to 12 months in jail, and the Traffic Police can now prosecute using handheld breathalyzers for more accurate roadside alcohol measurements without a doctor's authorization.

Lee Shi Nan, who had previously served eight weeks in jail and paid a $10,000 fine for repeated drink-driving offenses, faced a lifetime ban in March 2023. Despite his disqualification, Lee was arrested again in September 2025, allegedly with 135mg of alcohol in 100ml of his blood, well above the legal limit of 80mg.