2 BMW Drivers Face Charges for Racing at 178kmh on Lim Chu Kang Road

When racing comes to mind, one may think of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, or perhaps Lewis Hamilton and Raikonnen tearing up the streets of F1 tracks.

The only racing allowed in Singapore is F1.

Last I checked, Chua Dong Cheng and Wan Tat Mun are not in the running to represent Singapore in F1.

With in-car cameras and street cameras all over these days, you would think that one would prefer to err on the side of caution and choose not to race.

However, these two men decided to compete against each other on 9 July 2017.

The track?

Chua and Wan decided to go down the infamous ’40 Tiang’ road along Lim Chu Kang Road. It is a straight road that is dotted with 40 lamp posts on each side to light the way.

This road is ideal for racing as it is a long and straight stretch. However, that is not what it was made for, for it’s just a road made for people to drive from one place to another.

Fast and Foolish

The speed limit on this road is 70km/h. However, Chua and Wan decided to dial it up a few notches and travelled at 177km/h and 179km/h respectively.

Thinking that they would not be caught, both men set out to race at the wee hours in the morning, both in BMWs. Chua drove a blue one while Wan drove a white one.

The race was short lived as it only went on for one minute before the Traffic Police caught up with them on motorbikes. They were made to stop immediately.

Shooting himself in the foot, footage from Chua’s in-car camera was used against him and Wan in court.

Modifying cars?

On top of being caught for speeding, the two men had modified the exhaust pipes and silences of their cars. In addition, Chua installed a cooling mist system with a water injection tank.

Punishment for illegal racing and putting others in danger

Because of what they did, these two men will now be travelling by BMW (Bus, MRT, Walk).

Chua has been sentenced to two weeks in jail, a $1,500 fine and has been disqualified from driving for at least 18 months.

He is a repeat offender as he has been caught speeding 6 times and once for careless driving.

While his lawyer appealed for a more lenient sentence as Chua is undergoing a divorce currently, the judge said that his punishment is necessary to act as a deterrence for others.

Wan is still waiting to get his verdict.

So remember guys, don’t race in Singapore, you will get caught. If you really must, go to the arcade or go go-karting.