SINGAPORE – When he fell asleep behind the wheel, a man allegedly left his car stationary in the middle of a road junction in Bedok North.

Police investigations found the 51-year-old had consumed alcohol before he drove, with the vehicle ending up at the junction of Bedok North Street 1 and Bedok North Drive on March 12.

The police said on April 24 that he will be among 20 motorists who will be charged with drink driving on April 25. He will also be charged with leaving his vehicle in a manner causing undue inconvenience to others.

The motorists, aged 28 to 51, were arrested between January and March 2024 when they failed breathalyser tests during routine police checks.

If convicted of drink driving, one can be fined between $2,000 and $10,000, jailed for up to a year, or both, for the first offence. Offenders may also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.

If convicted of leaving a vehicle in a manner causing undue inconvenience to others, one can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months, or both, for the first offence.

The Traffic Police noted that driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous and irresponsible. “(We) will not hesitate to take firm action against motorists who choose to flout traffic laws and endanger the safety of other road users.”

In the latest annual police statistics report, drink-driving accidents saw a slight rise, from 175 in 2022 to 180 in 2023. The number of fatal drink-driving accidents rose slightly to 11, from 10 in 2022.