Traffic Accidents Involving Foreign-registered Vehicles

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many traffic accidents involving foreign-registered vehicles have been reported in the last three years; and (b) what measures are in place to ensure that motorists of foreign-registered vehicles are held accountable for personal injury and/or vehicle damage in the event of a traffic accident in Singapore.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: In the last three years, there were about 1,100 accidents each year which involved foreign-registered vehicles.

If found responsible for causing an accident, motorists of foreign-registered vehicles are treated no differently from those of Singapore-registered vehicles in law. In other words they are liable for damages incurred. In addition, the Motor Vehicle Act requires all vehicles used on Singapore roads, whether local or foreign-registered, to be insured against third party bodily injury and death. To effect this for Malaysian-registered vehicles, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Singapore (MIBS) has Special Agreements with Malaysian insurers to require that they settle claims against their insured who get into accidents in Singapore which involve deaths or injuries. In such cases, the MIBS will facilitate the third-party claimants from Singapore to file their claims with the insurers in Malaysia.