Motorists without proper authorisation will have vehicles seized, warn cops

KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists must remove any unauthorised strobe light at once or their vehicles will be impounded, warned the Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforce­ment Department.

Its director Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mahamad Akhir Darus said that using the lights was an offence and his personnel had seen many motorists using them to get through traffic jams faster.

His deputy, Asst Comm Roslan Khalid said offenders would be issued a summons and the illegal lights removed on the spot.

“If they cannot take off the strobe lights immediately, we may be forced to impound their vehicle,” he told reporters at Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

SAC Mahamad Akhir said that this Hari Raya, police were expecting heavy traffic and motorists using strobe lights would only worsen the situation.

He said 12 special teams would be on duty at each of the four operations bases – Sungai Petani, Bidor, Kuantan and Bakri.

“Their main role will be enforcement and ensuring smooth flowing traffic,” he said.

There will also be 14 Emergency Response Teams comprising traffic policemen, Civil Defence Depart­ment personnel, Land Public Transport Commission, Road Transport Department, Fire and Rescue Department, St John Ambulance and Red Crescent Society.

“They will be based at 11 PLUS highway stations along the North-South Expressway and along the East Coast Expressway,” SAC Mahamad Akhir said.

He said 78 “blackspots”, or accident-prone areas, had been identified along federal roads.

“Last year, 20,458 accidents occurred with 330 people dead,” he said, adding that police issued 239,107 summonses during that period.

He said careless driving, failure to follow traffic rules, speeding, beating traffic lights, using a mobile phone while driving, overtaking on double white lines, and turning in and out of junctions haphazardly were the main causes of the accidents.

“If motorists continue (breaking rules) this with the increased traffic we expect, the only outcome will be more accidents and senseless deaths,” he said.

SAC Mahamad Akhir also advised motorists to get enough rest before travelling and to ensure their vehicle was properly maintained.