New Bill tightens rules on using phone while driving

[SINGAPORE] If you think it is legal for you to read that email that just came in to your inbox on your tablet or reading that last line of your e-book while driving, think again.

Parliament on Monday passed a new bill which, among other things, will tighten the use of mobile devices while driving on Singapore's roads. The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2014 amends the Road Traffic Act (RTA) to expand the scope of the offence for driving while using a mobile telephone to include the use of all 'mobile communication devices', including tablet computers.

The definition of 'use' will also be broadened to cover any function of the device, including Internet surfing, checking e-mail, or playing games, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, confirmed in parliament on Monday.