Wah kakis, if you are the kind of driver who likes to change your Spotify playlist, reply to WhatsApp group chats, or just randomly adjust your phone holder while navigating the CTE, you better read this carefully.

The government just introduced the new Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025 in Parliament, and let me tell you, it’s going to be a real game-changer for all our driving habits.

If you think you can outsmart the Traffic Police (TP) by hiding your phone under your thigh, think again. The loop-holes are completely closed liao!

The Big Change: “Simply Holding” is Game Over!

Under the current rules, the TP actually have to prove you were actively using the phone—like texting, scrolling TikTok, or tapping a button.

Tapi, under the new proposed law, if the car is moving and you are physically holding the phone, you are immediately guilty.

Doesn’t matter if the screen is off. Doesn’t matter if you were just passing the phone to your passenger or picking it up because it fell on the floor mat. If it is in your hand while the wheels are rolling, boom—offence committed.

Can Use GPS Or Not?

Don’t kanchiong, you can still use Google Maps or Waze. The rules are clear:

• ✅ Mounted Phones Allowed: If your phone is securely clipped to a dashboard mount or windscreen holder, you can still look at it for navigation.
• ✅ Go Hands-Free: Use voice commands, Bluetooth earpieces, or your car’s steering wheel buttons. Just don’t let your fingers touch the actual phone body while moving.
• ✅ Red Lights are an Exception: If you are completely stationary at a red light, you can hold it. But the moment the light turns green and the car moves even 1cm, put it down immediately!

How They Will Catch You (Spoiler: AI is Watching)

Don’t think no TP bike nearby means you are safe. The enforcement is going high-tech siao:

1. AI-Powered Enforcement Cameras: TP is rolling out new smart cameras with advanced video analytics that can automatically spot if a driver’s hand is holding a phone.
2. The “Stomp” Army: Public videos from other people’s dashcams, pedestrian smartphones, or CCTV can all be used as solid evidence to fine you. Every road user is now a traffic warden!

Why So Serious Suddenly?

The statistics are actually quite scary, kakis. Between 2021 and 2025, traffic deaths in Singapore jumped by 24%! In 2025 alone, we had 149 road deaths and almost 10,000 injuries. Phone-related traffic offences also spiked from 3,000 cases to over 4,200. The government has no choice but to clamp down hard.

The Damage: Fines & Jail Time

The maximum penalties for the first phone offence can land you up to 6 months in jail, a $1,000 fine, and 12 demerit points (plus a composition fine between $400 to $500). If you get caught a second time, it doubles to 12 months jail and a $2,000 fine!

And if you cause a serious accident due to dangerous driving, the jail terms have been bumped up significantly (up to 7 years for a first offence, and up to 15 years + caning if you purposely endanger people with your car).

Kopi Kaki Verdict

The message is simple: Set up your GPS before you start your engine, clip your phone tightly into the mount, and don’t touch it. A few seconds of replying “On my way” is definitely not worth a trip to Changi Prison!

Share this with your friends who always drive with one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on their phone!