Audi driver gets 4 days' jail, 4-month driving ban for road rage against cabbie in Jurong
Zou Xin captured on video during the road rage incident along Teban Gardens Crescent on Dec 13, 2021.
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BY
LOUISA TANG
Published October 20, 2022Updated October 20, 2022
SINGAPORE — While driving his Audi along Jurong Town Hall Road, Zou Xin saw red when a taxi encroached into his lane.
He then drove against the flow of traffic twice along Teban Gardens Crescent in order to overtake the cabbie, who was ferrying a passenger, before stopping his vehicle to block the taxi.
The taxi driver attempted to drive off to avoid a confrontation. However, Zou then lunged forward and opened the cab's front passenger door in a failed attempt to stop him.
On Thursday (Oct 20), Zou, a 35-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to four days’ jail and given a four-month driving ban after pleading guilty to committing a rash act endangering the personal safety of others.
He worked as an engineer at the time and was behind the wheel of a grey Audi, the court heard.
On Dec 13 last year, he drove along Jurong Town Hall Road on the left lane. The 55-year-old Transcab driver was slightly ahead of him on his right.
When the cabby encroached on Zou’s lane, he slowed down and sounded his horn. Traffic flow was light to moderate at the time with good visibility.
Both men then drove along Teban Gardens Crescent, before Zou drove against the flow of traffic to overtake the cabbie from the right. He then abruptly cut in and stopped to block the cabbie's path.
The taxi driver drove away to avoid a confrontation.
After about 100m, Zou again drove across broken white lines and against traffic flow, cut in front of the taxi and stopped once more.
The taxi was very close to a heavy-duty truck this time, and another car behind the taxi also had to brake due to Zou’s actions.
Zou alighted from his car and gestured at the taxi driver, telling him to alight as well. The cabbie instead reversed and began driving off.
As he began doing so, Zou lunged towards the taxi and opened the front passenger door to stop him from leaving. But the door closed by itself and the cabbie managed to drive off.
The prosecution asked for at least one week of jail time and a six-month driving ban, arguing that Zou’s actions warranted a custodial sentence because of the high potential harm.
He also put the safety of himself, the cabbie, the passenger, and other road users at risk, the prosecutor said.
Mr Allagarsamy Palanivappan, Zou’s lawyer, asked for a fine with no driving ban instead.
The defence counsel added: “A fine would send a good message to him on being a vigilante on the road. He did what he did in an abrupt moment when he was rushing to work, and the work pressure actually caused him to do what he did.
“He’s very remorseful and very sorry and he seeks the court’s compassion.”
District Judge Lau Qiuyu told the court: "This is a situation of road rage which warrants a deterrent sentence, to prevent road users from taking matters into their own hands instead of de-escalating conflict."
For endangering the personal safety of others by a rash act, Zou could have been jailed up to six months or fined up to S$2,500, or punished with both.
