8,028 accidents over X’mas

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 8,028 accidents including 75 fatal ones were recorded during the recent balik kampung exodus in conjunction with Christmas.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Comm Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri (pic) said the accidents were recorded from Dec 22-26.

“Of the total, 29 accidents involved serious injuries while another 303 cases saw the victims suffering minor injuries. The majority of the accidents involved vehicle breakdowns at 7,621 cases, while others were minor collisions,” he said when contacted.

In conjunction with the holiday season, Comm Mohd Azman said police launched Ops Lancar nationwide covering locations identified as congestion hotspots.

“All department personnel on highways and expressways were assigned to monitor and assist in controlling the traffic flow, while those in states and districts were overseeing federal, state and city roads.

“We identified six locations where congestion was expected along the PLUS highway, with smart lanes activated and monitored by our personnel on the ground,” he said.

A total of 77 officers and 731 rank-and-file personnel were deployed at strategic locations nationwide, Comm Mohd Azman said.

“They were involved directly in controlling traffic for the convenience of all road users,” he added.

More than 9.8 million vehicles were on the road on major highways and expressways during the five-day period in conjunction with the festive holiday.

He said the high volume of traffic began on Dec 22 until Dec 26, including the two toll-free days announced by the government.

“On the PLUS highway, 2.03 million vehicles were on the road on Dec 22, followed by 2.01 million on Dec 23, 1.82 million (Dec 24), 1.72 million (Dec 25) and 1.95 million (Dec 26),” he said.

The Karak expressway and East Coast expressway (LPT1) saw a total of 1.2 million vehicles on both routes during the same period.