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Just Holding Your Phone While Driving Could Soon Be Illegal in Singapore Here's What's Changing
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute professional legal advice. Readers are advised to consult with a qualified legal professional for matters relating to specific legal circumstances.
For years, Singapore's law on phone use while driving has had a built-in grey area: authorities had to prove you were actually using your device, not just holding it. That loophole is about to close.
On 7 July 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) tabled the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill in Parliament, under which simply holding your phone while driving could be enough to convict you, even if the screen is off and you haven't touched an app [1].
Here's exactly what's proposed, what stays the same, and what to do about it now.
What's Changing: A New Bill Closes the "Not Using It" Loophole
According to Section 65B of the Road Traffic Act, an offence only occurs when three conditions are met simultaneously: your vehicle is moving, you are holding a mobile device, and you are actively using one of its functions. That third condition has made enforcement genuinely difficult, since a driver caught holding a phone could always argue the screen was off or that they hadn't actually used it [2].
The proposed Bill removes that requirement entirely. Under the new rules, holding the device while your vehicle is in motion would be enough on its own, regardless of whether you were using it. This also changes how the law gets enforced: instead of requiring an officer to witness the offence in real time, Traffic Police would be able to rely on camera footage, or photos and videos submitted by members of the public [3].
Current Law vs. Proposed Law: Side by Side
| Current Law | Proposed Law | |
|---|---|---|
| What must be proven | Vehicle moving + holding device + actively using it | Vehicle moving + holding device (usage no longer required) |
| Enforcement | Officer must witness active use | Camera footage or public-submitted evidence accepted |
| First-time penalty | Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months' jail | Unchanged |
| Repeat offence penalty | Up to $2,000 fine and/or 12 months' jail | Unchanged |
| Composition fine (out-of-court) | $400 (light vehicles) / $500 (heavy vehicles), plus 12 demerit points | Unchanged |
| Smartwatches worn properly | Not an offence | Unchanged |
| Phone held while stationary | Not an offence | Unchanged |
[4] Worth noting: The penalty amounts themselves aren't changing, but rather how much easier it becomes to actually get caught and convicted.
What Still Won't Be an Offence
A few things the Bill leaves untouched:
Mounted, hands-free devices. Using your phone in a dashboard mount for navigation or hands-free calls remains permitted. Parliament specifically considered banning mounted devices too, but MHA has said doing so could backfire, because drivers might simply hold their phones in-hand instead, which is worse [3].
Smartwatches and wearables, as long as they're worn the way the manufacturer intended. You can still tap and use a smartwatch while driving, but the moment you take it off and hold it in your hand, it counts the same as holding a phone.
Using your phone while stationary, such as at a red light or while parked. This still isn't an offence, though it's still worth avoiding, as even brief distraction lowers your reaction time and awareness of what's happening around you, one of several risk factors we cover in our guide to distracted driving.
That said, mounted devices aren't a free pass either: if a driver is found driving without due care because of a screen (even a legally mounted one), they can still be charged with careless or dangerous driving, which carries its own separate penalties for common driving offences of up to $1,500 (careless) or $5,000 and a year's jail (dangerous), regardless of whether an accident occurred.
The Hidden Financial Risk: How Phone Use Affects Your Car Insurance
While avoiding a $1,000 fine and 12 demerit points is the immediate priority, the implications of the new Bill stretch beyond traffic penalties.
In Singapore, holding a mobile device while driving is categorized as distracted and reckless behaviour. In the unfortunate event of an accident, if Traffic Police camera footage or public-submitted evidence proves you were holding a device, it can heavily complicate your claims process.
Insurance policies generally require drivers to take all reasonable steps to safeguard their vehicle and drive responsibly. Being caught on camera violating the Road Traffic Act could give insurers grounds to investigate or reject an at-fault claim. Keeping your hands completely off your device isn't just about avoiding court; it’s about ensuring your comprehensive car insurance remains a reliable safety net when you need it most.
Why the Rules Are Tightening
This isn't an isolated change. MHA's own figures show why enforcement is being toughened across the board: traffic deaths hit a 10-year high of 149 in 2025, up from 141 in 2016, while traffic violations rose roughly 38% between 2021 and 2025. Cellphone-related driving violations specifically climbed from 3,014 in 2024 to 4,193 in 2025 [1].
The same Bill also introduces a new offence for purposeful endangerment using a vehicle (which carries penalties of up to 15 years' jail and caning for the most severe cases), alongside increased penalties for dangerous and careless driving causing grievous hurt [2]. Taken together, it signals a broader shift toward firmer, technology-enabled enforcement, not just a tweak to phone rules specifically.
What to Do While This Is Still a Proposal
The Bill has only had its First Reading in Parliament. It still needs to pass further readings before becoming law, and an official start date hasn't been confirmed yet. But there's little reason to wait:
Get a hands-free mount if you don't already have one, and make it a habit rather than an occasional workaround.
Don't rely on "the screen's off" as a defence — under the proposed law, that argument won't hold up anymore.
If you're a business owner with company vehicles, this is a good moment to put a written no-handheld-phone policy in place for your drivers, rather than leaving it to individual judgement [4].
Whether or not this specific Bill passes exactly as proposed, the direction is clear: Singapore is closing the gap between what's technically provable and what's actually dangerous. It's the kind of regulatory shift we watch closely, since it reflects exactly where road safety enforcement in Singapore is headed next.
FAQ
Is it illegal to hold my phone while driving in Singapore right now?
Currently, it's only an offence if you're holding the device, your vehicle is moving, and you're actively using one of its functions. All three conditions must be met. The proposed Bill would remove the "actively using it" requirement.
When will the new law take effect?
The Bill was tabled for its First Reading on 7 July 2026. It needs to pass subsequent readings in Parliament before becoming law, and no commencement date has been confirmed yet.
Will the penalties increase under the new law?
No, the fine and jail term amounts stay the same. What changes is how much easier it becomes for Traffic Police to prove an offence and secure a conviction.
Can I still use a phone mounted on a dashboard holder?
Yes, mounted hands-free use remains permitted under both current and proposed rules. However, you can still be charged with careless or dangerous driving if a mounted screen is found to have caused a lapse in attention.
Does this affect smartwatches?
No, as long as the smartwatch is worn the way it's meant to be worn. It only becomes a problem if you remove it and hold it in your hand while driving.
Is it still legal to use my phone at a red light?
Yes, using your phone while your vehicle is stationary (including at a red light) remains legal under both current and proposed law, though it's still not advisable given how quickly your attention needs to shift once traffic moves.
Sources & References
- Hold a phone while driving on S'pore roads and face up to $1k fine, jail time of up to 6 months, The Straits Times — https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/hold-a-phone-while-driving-on-spore-roads-and-face-up-to-1k-fine-jail-time-of-up-to-6-months
- Hold a phone while driving in S'pore? Face up to S$1,000 fine, up to 6 months' jail, Mothership.SG — https://mothership.sg/2026/07/holding-mobile-phone-driving-offence/
- Mobile phones, driving, holding, road, traffic, smartwatch, Parliament, Channel NewsAsia — https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mobile-phones-driving-holding-road-traffic-smartwatch-parliament-6226391
- Holding Your Phone While Driving Just Got Riskier, Skylink — https://www.skylink.com.sg/happenings/holding-your-phone-while-driving-just-got-riskier/
