Stiffer penalties proposed for lorry owners who flout speed limiter rules

Lorry owners who fail to install speed limiters will face much stiffer penalties under proposed changes to the law, to better reflect the harm posed by such speeding vehicles.

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan

Under these changes, the maximum fine for such offences will be $10,000 for a first offence and $20,000 for a second, 10 times the current penalties.

Currently, those who fall foul of the law can be fined up to $1,000 for their first offence and up to $2,000 for repeat offences.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the proposed changes are more commensurate with the road safety risks posed by such vehicles, and bring penalties for speed limiter offences in line with those for offences related to motor vehicle modification.

On Dec 30, 2025, six drivers of heavy vehicles were charged in court with speeding offences committed between August and October.

Their vehicles — including buses, cement mixers and a tipper truck - were not fitted with speed limiters. They were found to be exceeding imposed speed limits by 15kmh to 24kmh.

The tougher proposed penalties are part of the Land Transport and Related Matters Bill, introduced by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on Jan 12. It will be debated by Parliament in February.