Singapore will tighten several road safety rules from November 2025. The changes affect the demerit point ceiling, penalties for speeding, the probation period for new drivers, health checks at licence renewal, and the use of personal mobility devices. This guide rewrites the updates in clear English and adds a practical checklist so you can prepare ahead of time.
What Is Changing and Why It Matters
The 2025 updates are designed to cut accident risks and encourage responsible behaviour on roads and shared paths. Lower demerit thresholds and higher penalties deter repeated minor offences. Longer probation supports safer habits among new drivers. Health and eyesight checks at renewal help ensure motorists remain fit to drive. Tighter rules for personal mobility devices are meant to protect pedestrians and make shared spaces safer.
Quick Summary
Item |
Details |
|---|---|
Effective month |
November 2025 |
Demerit ceiling before suspension |
Reduced from 24 to 20 points |
Speeding penalty |
8 demerit points per offence |
New driver probation |
Extended from 1 year to 2 years |
Licence renewal |
Full medical and vision check required |
Dangerous driving penalties |
First time minimums removed, repeat offender jail terms adjusted |
PMD and bicycle use |
Banned on pedestrian footpaths next to cycling paths from 1 November 2025 |
Mobility scooter rules |
Medical certificate required from Q1 2026 |
Speed cap for mobility devices |
6 km/h by 2029 with transition until end 2028 |
Official site |
Demerit Points and Speeding Penalties
Ceiling before suspension
- The maximum demerit points you can accumulate before facing licence suspension drops from 24 to 20.
- The lower ceiling means drivers who repeatedly commit minor offences will reach the suspension threshold sooner.
Speeding offences
- The demerit penalty for speeding per offence rises to 8 points.
- With a 20 point ceiling, three speeding offences within a short period could already push a driver to the suspension line, especially if combined with other violations.
Practical tip
- If you drive frequently on expressways, set cruise control where safe, watch dynamic speed signs, and leave more time for trips so you are not tempted to speed.
New Driver Probation Extended
Two year probation
- The probation period for newly licensed drivers moves from 12 months to 24 months.
- Accumulating demerit points or committing major offences during probation can trigger suspension or revocation of the licence.
Good habits to build
- Keep to posted speed limits, signal early, maintain safe following distances, and avoid lane weaving.
- Consider an advanced defensive driving course within the first six months to reinforce best practices.
Licence Renewal: Medical and Vision Checks
What changes at renewal
- From November 2025, all drivers renewing a licence must pass a full medical and vision assessment.
- Examinations focus on visual acuity and fields, conditions that affect alertness or motor control, and general fitness to drive.
How to prepare
- Book a check several weeks before your renewal date to allow time for follow up if needed.
- Bring your spectacles or contact lens prescription. If you have a controllable chronic condition, carry updated medical documentation.
Dangerous and Careless Driving Penalties
First time offenders
- Mandatory minimum jail terms and disqualification requirements for first time dangerous or careless driving are removed to allow judicial discretion.
Repeat offenders
- For dangerous driving causing death, the mandatory jail term for repeat offenders is adjusted from four years to two.
- For repeat grievous hurt cases, the mandatory jail term is adjusted from two years to one.
What it means
- Courts gain flexibility for first offences but repeat behaviour remains serious. Expect disqualification orders and fines to continue as strong deterrents, alongside possible jail where warranted.
Personal Mobility Devices and Mobility Aids
Footpath rules from 1 November 2025
- Non motorised PMDs and bicycles are banned from pedestrian footpaths that run next to cycling paths. This reduces conflicts between device users and pedestrians on narrow or busy pavements.
Medical certificate for mobility scooters
- A medical fitness certificate will be required from the first quarter of 2026. Users can begin assessments from the fourth quarter of 2025 to avoid delays.
Speed caps
- A universal cap of 6 km/h for mobility devices will apply by 2029. Devices capable of 10 km/h may continue until the end of 2028 but users must still keep within speed limits on public paths.
Practical compliance
- Check signage at town centres and along park connectors. Where both cycling paths and pedestrian footpaths exist, use the correct lane and dismount in crowded areas.
What Drivers Should Do Now
- Audit your record
- If you have accumulated points, drive conservatively so you do not approach the 20 point ceiling.
- Renewal readiness
- Note the expiry date of your licence, book a medical and vision check early, and keep copies of your results.
- Vehicle and tech checks
- Ensure speed limiter and driver assist features like lane keep and forward collision warnings are configured correctly.
- New drivers
- Treat the two year probation as a protected learning period. Avoid peak hour aggression, practice scanning for hazards, and schedule supervised drives on routes you find difficult.
- Families with PMDs or mobility scooters
- Map compliant routes and plan errands during off peak hours to avoid congested footpaths.
Compliance Checklist
- Keep within posted speeds and adapt to weather and traffic conditions.
- Signal early and change lanes deliberately, not suddenly.
- Leave safe gaps and avoid tailgating.
- Stay off handheld devices. Use hands free only when lawful and safe.
- For PMDs and bicycles, obey path designations and speed guidance.
- For mobility scooters, schedule medical certification ahead of Q1 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the new demerit point limit before suspension
The limit becomes 20 points. Reaching 20 points can lead to licence suspension.
2. What changes for speeding offences
Each speeding offence carries 8 demerit points, which means fewer incidents are needed to reach the suspension threshold.
3. How long is the new driver probation
Two years. Offences during probation can result in suspension or revocation.
4. What tests are required at licence renewal from November 2025
A full medical and vision assessment is required to confirm fitness to drive.
5. Are PMDs allowed on pedestrian footpaths next to cycling paths from November 2025
No. Non motorised PMDs and bicycles are banned from such footpaths. Mobility devices will also face medical certification and speed cap requirements on a phased timeline.
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