Motorists shouldn’t access apps constantly while driving, says neurologist

SINGAPORE – Sally Netting was walking with her friend along Upper Serangoon in 2023 when a car almost ran into her at a pedestrian crossing.

The driver was texting as she approached the zebra crossing, said Netting.

When the car came to a stop, Netting knocked on the driver’s window. The woman was shocked, saying she did not notice there were pedestrians crossing the road.

Netting, who has been working in Singapore since 2002 after moving from Australia, told The Straits Times: “I spend a lot of time walking and using public transport, so I see it first-hand – drivers holding their phones to text and talk, even to watch videos. It’s honestly frightening.

“I’ve seen cases of drivers on their phones for 3km to 4km while driving at 80kmh. It’s not just a couple of seconds, and that to me is very blatant.”

She has taken photos and videos of these drivers while riding in a car or on a bus as a passenger, and reported such incidents to the Traffic Police.

Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam has said it could be counterproductive to disallow the mounting of devices in vehicles, as that may result in drivers holding their devices while driving.

“It is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert on the roads at all times and drive safely. The key issue is not the installation or mounting of devices, but in the wrongful use of such devices while driving,” said the minister in a written reply in March to a question by Hougang MP Dennis Tan.

Tan had asked if the Ministry of Home Affairs had conducted studies on how a driver’s reaction time and performance on the road may be impacted by the use of multiple screens.

Shanmugam said no such studies were conducted.

Speaking to ST, Tan said he raised the issue after hearing concerns from a resident over some private-hire drivers or taxi drivers having multiple mounted screens to monitor incoming jobs on different ride-hailing platforms.

He said a driver who has multiple screens, or toggles between multiple apps on one screen, may believe himself safe simply because his hands are on the wheel and his phone is fixed to a mount.

But the cognitive load of multiple blinking, pinging, updating screens competes just as aggressively for the driver’s attention, he added.

Annual figures released by the Traffic Police showed that there were 4,193 cellphone driving violations in 2025, up from 3,014 in 2024.

According to the law, a vehicle has to be in motion for an offence to take place, and the motorist must be holding the phone in his hand. He must also be operating the communication device, viewing a passive navigation display, typing, swiping or video viewing.

First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. They will also be given 12 demerit points. A repeat offender can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to a year, or both.

Ride-hailing drivers

Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high in 2025, with 149 people killed, compared with 141 in 2016. There were 142 deaths in 2024. The number of those injured also rose – from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.

Given this dire situation, The Straits Times has been running a series of stories to call on all road users to be more careful, including on the use of mobile devices while driving, which has become an issue in the ride-hailing sector as passengers complain about drivers doing this.

In May, Grab investigated one of its drivers after a passenger posted on social media photos of the driver holding his phone with one hand while driving.

He could also be seen tapping the phone and using a messenger app.

Grab told ST it takes all reports of unsafe driving seriously. “We encourage passengers to report any unsafe behaviour directly through our in-app Help Centre so we can take swift action. Every reported incident is investigated thoroughly, and we will take the appropriate disciplinary action, if necessary,” a spokesperson for the company said.

Tada said it receives a small number of reports each year relating to drivers using mobile phones while driving. “Depending on the findings, actions may range from advisories and warnings to further disciplinary measures in cases involving repeated or serious breaches,” said its spokesperson.

Associate consultant Andrew Lee from the National Neuroscience Institute said every screen that is turned on in a vehicle demands attention.

“These screens may show useful driving information, which may in turn help improve driving habits. However, these do not need to be looked at constantly whilst driving,” he said.

“Every second looking at these screens is a second not paying full attention to the road ahead, which will then potentially lead to road accidents.”

The neurologist said multiple areas of a person’s brain are activated while driving. These include areas responsible for concentration, perception of the surroundings, motor control and decision-making.

“These occur both consciously and subconsciously. More importantly, due to the changing nature of the surroundings while driving, split-second decisions are made constantly,” he said.

“By accessing apps on the phone whilst driving, we take our eyes away from the road, and hands off the steering wheel, on top of using our attention to navigate through the phone. 

“These are dangerous, especially when split-second decisions are crucial.”

To remedy this, he suggested drivers use voice navigation, which helps them keep their eyes on the road. “For all other tasks that require attention, stop your car in a safe location, then use your phone.”

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