Kids seen standing through GetGo car’s sunroof; firm warns of penalties for unsafe driving

AI generated

SINGAPORE – Car-sharing company GetGo has warned that users who drive in an unsafe manner will be penalised, with the severity of the punishment depending on the offence.

The statement, made in response to queries from The Straits Times on Aug 3, comes after an image of four young children emerging from a GetGo car’s sunroof went viral on social media.

In a photo posted on Facebook Group SG Road Vigilante on Aug 2, the children can be seen with their heads and upper bodies emerging from a black Mazda sedan. A side decal indicates the vehicle belongs to GetGo.

One child on the far left appears to be perched on the roof of the car with her legs dangling inside. None of the four children is wearing seat belts.

Under Singapore’s Road Traffic Act, all drivers and passengers of a motor vehicle must wear seat belts. Drivers must also ensure that passengers below 1.35m in height are secured with an approved child restraint or body-restraining seat belt.

Offenders who fail to do so face a jail term of up to three months, fined up to $1,000, or both.

The picture has garnered more than 200 likes in 20 hours and sparked online discourse about road safety.

GetGo told ST: “We are in touch with the user involved and have highlighted this offence to them.

“GetGo’s terms of use clearly require all users to comply with traffic laws and to operate vehicles safely at all times – this includes ensuring all passengers have their seatbelts fastened.”

It added: “We do not condone any behaviour that puts the safety of our users, drivers, or other road users at risk.”

The firm said it will take appropriate action in line with its policies, adding that a user’s account may be suspended immediately for investigation in severe cases, and repeat offenders could face a ban from the platform.

It is unclear if GetGo made a police report on the incident but it told ST that “the investigation is ongoing”.

Under the company’s terms and conditions seen on its website, hirers are responsible for any breach of traffic rules, parking rules and regulations during the booking period.

Should the company receive a ticket, fine, or penalty, GetGo will forward the hirer’s information to the authorities and impose a processing fee of $20.

It is not known if the hirer of the rental car had booster seats or child restraints for the children in the vehicle.

Checks by ST on GetGo’s FAQ page show that the car-sharing platform does not provide car seats or boosters.

On July 29, a man was convicted of committing a rash act endangering the safety of children below the age of 14 after his two sons were seen in a video online perched on the back of his yellow Porsche on Oct 20, 2025.

He was fined $5,000 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Singapore’s roads are now at their most dangerous in years, with traffic deaths hitting a 10-year high of 149 in 2025, compared with 141 in 2016. There were 142 deaths from traffic incidents in 2024.

The number of traffic-related injuries also surged from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.