By Zaihan Mohamed Yusof for The Straits Times

Copyright tnp

Two motorists – a 43-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman – were arrested on Sept 20 during an anti-drink driving operation in Chinatown, where a new breath analyser was used.

The portable device, called the Handheld Breath Evidential Analyser (HBEA), instantly records and prints out the alcohol concentration in a motorist’s breath.

The results are reliable enough to be used as evidence in court, said the Traffic Police (TP).

In collaboration with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), the HBEA has been deployed in operational trials since Sept 5.

During the Sept 20 operation that started after midnight, traffic in Upper Cross Street’s four lanes came to a near standstill as police screened motorists at a roadblock next to Chinatown MRT station.

A handful of motorists suspected of drink driving were directed to a cordoned-off area for preliminary breath tests using a yellow handheld breath analyser (HBA).

Under the law, a motorist must not exceed the maximum limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Currently, a motorist who fails this HBA test would be arrested and sent for a second test using a bulky desktop device, called the breath evidential analyser machine.

In the trial, motorists who fail the HBA are arrested and administered the HBEA on the spot.

The HBEA – which is roughly the size of the older HBA and is used in tandem with a small printer and keyboard – requires a motorist to blow into the device via a plastic straw.

A result can be acquired within a few minutes.

Administering this test on the spot ensures more accurate measurements before alcohol levels in offending motorists diminish.

The first motorist who failed the HBEA test was the man, who drove a sport utility vehicle.

In the next hour, the woman, who was driving a saloon accompanied by a female passenger, was pulled over on suspicion of drink driving.

Both drivers had their results explained to them before they were escorted away in handcuffs.

The TP head of operations, Superintendent Muhammad Firdaus Abdul Raub, said: “The HBEA trial aims to enhance our operational efficiency by allowing our officers to conduct accurate testing at scene and eliminating the need for a second breath test. The results of this test can be used in legal proceedings.”

Between January and July 2025, the number of people arrested for drink driving rose by 6.6 per cent to 1,023, from 960 in the same period in 2024.

In the first six months of 2025, drink driving-related accidents decreased from 92 to 75 cases, with fatal crashes linked to drink driving falling from nine to four.

A person convicted of drink driving can face a fine ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

Repeat offenders can be fined between $5,000 and $20,000, or jailed up to two years. Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all classes of vehicles.

The police advised motorists not to drive after consuming alcohol, and to instead use alternatives such as a taxi, public transport, or a designated non-drinking driver.