Singapore PDVL cheat sheet

Where no sign shows otherwise, the speed limit on Singapore roads is 50 km/h; most expressways are signposted at 90 km/h.

The legal drink-driving limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 ml of breath, or 80 milligrammes per 100 ml of blood.

A driver who accumulates 24 demerit points within 24 months is disqualified; individual offences carry 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 points.

A PDVL authorises driving a chauffeured private hire car only; picking up passengers who hail the car on the street is an offence reserved for licensed taxis.

A chauffeured private hire car must carry the LTA-issued tamper-evident decal, and the driver must produce the vocational licence on demand by an authorised officer.

The vocational licence is valid for three years and must be renewed before expiry; driving on an expired or suspended licence is an offence.

The driver and every passenger must wear a seat belt, and a passenger below 1.35 m in height must use an approved child restraint or booster seat.

Valid third-party motor insurance, valid road tax and a roadworthy vehicle are all mandatory before the car may be used.

Holding and using a mobile phone while driving is an offence, including while the car is stopped at traffic lights with the engine running.

Sign shape and colour carry the message: red circle = prohibition (speed limit, no entry), blue circle = mandatory instruction, red triangle = warning, rectangle = information.

A red octagonal Stop sign requires a complete stop at the stop line and giving way to traffic and pedestrians; an inverted red triangle means Give Way.

The Singapore light sequence is green, then amber, then red. Amber means stop unless you are so close that stopping would be unsafe.

A green arrow gives protected right of way for that movement only; other movements at the same junction may still be showing red.

Double continuous white lines in the centre of the road must not be crossed or straddled; a broken white line may be crossed to overtake when it is safe.

Single yellow line at the kerb: no parking 7am to 7pm except on Sundays and public holidays. Double yellow line: no parking at any time.

A yellow box junction must not be entered unless the exit road is clear; when turning right you may wait inside the box only because of oncoming traffic.

A continuous yellow zig-zag line means no stopping at any time, and is used at bus stops and outside school gates.

Normal bus lanes operate Monday to Friday 7.30am to 9.30am and 5pm to 8pm (excluding public holidays); full-day bus lanes operate 7.30am to 11pm, Monday to Saturday.

Keep a minimum two-second gap to the vehicle ahead in dry weather; double it to four seconds in rain, at night or in poor visibility.

Use mirrors, signal, manoeuvre in that order for every change of direction, and turn the head to check the blind spot rather than relying on mirrors.

Scan about 12 seconds ahead and check the mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds so a hazard is seen before it becomes an emergency.

In standing water, aquaplaning is defeated by easing off the accelerator and holding the steering steady, not by braking hard.

After a tyre blowout, grip the wheel, keep the car straight and release the accelerator; brake only gently once control is regained.

Give way to a public bus that is signalling to move out of a bus stop or bus bay.

Approach zebra crossings and side-road junctions at a speed that lets you stop; never overtake a vehicle that has stopped at a zebra crossing.

In rain, switch the headlights on, slow down and lengthen the gap, because both visibility and braking distance are worse.

Overtake only on the right, only when the road ahead is clear and the line allows it, and return to the left lane when it is safe.

Touting, or soliciting passengers on the street, is an offence for a PDVL holder; passengers may be carried only on pre-booked trips.

It is an offence to drive while unfit through drink or drugs, including prescription medicine that causes drowsiness.

Assaulting, threatening or abusing a passenger is an offence and is grounds for suspension or revocation of the vocational licence.

Smoking is not permitted inside taxis and chauffeured private hire cars while passengers are being carried.

An accident causing injury must be reported to the police within 24 hours; damage-only claims must be filed with IDAC within 24 hours.

A passenger's name, contact number, address and trip details must not be disclosed to anyone other than the operator or the police.

Never discriminate against a passenger on grounds of race, religion, gender, age or disability.

The vehicle must be brought to a complete stop in a safe place before doors are unlocked or a passenger is asked to alight.

Confirm the destination and offer a route choice before moving off, and drive by the metered or agreed booking fare.

Issue a receipt on request showing the fare charged; overcharging is a disciplinary offence.

Before moving off, confirm that all doors are closed and every occupant, including rear-seat passengers, is belted up.

Never carry more passengers than there are seat belts in the vehicle.

Assist elderly, pregnant and disabled passengers with boarding, alighting and luggage, and stow mobility aids and luggage so they cannot move in the cabin.

Found property is returned to the passenger where possible, otherwise handed to the operator's lost-and-found with the trip details recorded.

If a passenger becomes unruly, stop in a safe place, ask the passenger to alight and call 999 if anyone is threatened.

In a fare dispute, stay calm, do not detain the passenger or the vehicle, and refer the matter to the operator or the police.

Keep conversation professional and short; personal questions and unsolicited comments about a passenger's appearance or background are inappropriate.

Legal minimum tyre tread is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, around the whole circumference.

Check tyre pressures when the tyres are cold and use the vehicle manufacturer's figures; under-inflation raises heat, wear and fuel consumption.

Daily pre-trip check covers tyres and pressures, lights, brakes, horn, wipers, washers, mirrors, seat belts and fluid levels.

Check engine oil with the engine off and the car on level ground; the dipstick level must sit between the minimum and maximum marks.

Never open the radiator or coolant cap while the engine is hot, because pressurised hot coolant can spray out and cause burns.

Red dashboard warning lights mean stop as soon as it is safe and investigate; amber lights warn of a fault needing attention soon.

Top up brake and power-steering fluid only with the specified fluid, and keep the washer reservoir filled with water plus screen wash.

Keep battery terminals clean and tight; slow cranking or dim lights are early signs of a failing battery.

Keep the cabin and boot free of loose items that can become projectiles under hard braking.

On a breakdown, switch on the hazard lights immediately and coast to the road shoulder or another safe spot on the left if the car can still move.

Place the warning triangle at least 20 metres behind the vehicle on an ordinary road, and further back on an expressway where it is safe to do so.

On an expressway, use the emergency telephones linked to EMAS, and have occupants wait behind the guardrail, well away from the traffic lane.

Do not attempt repairs in a live traffic lane or on an expressway shoulder; call for recovery instead.

For a vehicle fire: stop, switch off the engine, move everyone well clear of the car, then call 995.

At an accident with injuries, call 995 and do not move casualties unless there is immediate danger such as fire or moving traffic.

Do not restart an engine that has stalled in flood water; water drawn into the intake can destroy the engine.

Carry a basic emergency kit: warning triangle, torch, first-aid kit and a reflective vest.

After a puncture at speed, do not brake hard; ease off, hold the car straight and slow gradually before pulling over.