Speeding still the main cause of accidents, says IGP

PETALING JAYA: Speeding is still the main cause of road accidents, says Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.

The Inspector-General of Police said the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department had been instructed to focus on penalising the particular offence during Ops Selamat held in conjunction with the Lunar New Year.

"Speeding is definitely the main cause of accidents.

"Personnel on duty have been instructed to curb speeding among road users," he told reporters after launching Ops Selamat at Persada PLUS on Wednesday (Feb 7).

Besides speeding, five other offences that would be closely monitored were driving on the emergency lane, disobeying rules at traffic lights, overtaking on the double line, cutting queue and driving while using mobile phone, he said.

"More than 6,000 officers and personnel will be deployed for Ops Selamat, which will be held from Feb 8 till Feb 13.

"They will be deployed at hotspots for traffic congestion and blackspots, where accidents often occur.

"A total of 407 hotpots and 76 blackspots have been identified in states and districts while for highways and expressways, 18 hotspots and 46 blackspots have been identified," he said.

The IGP also advised all road users to properly maintain their vehicles before starting their journeys and get enough rest.

"If you are about to experience microsleep, then better stop your vehicle," he said.

Besides the goals of minimising accidents and ensuring smooth traffic during Ops Selamat, Razarudin said the police also aimed at preventing house break-ins.

"We advise those who are leaving their homes to register with the nearest police station by filling up relevant forms.

"They can also fill up the forms via the police Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) 2.0 application.

"Patrols could be increased on houses left behind during the festivities if they register with the police," he said.

The VSP 2.0 was recently upgraded to make it user-friendly and up-to-date, he added.