KLANG: The government is looking into banning the sale of seat belt buckle disablers which compromise the safety of motor vehicle users.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry, together with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, would discuss a ban on the sale of the buckle, also popularly known as “dummy buckles” which are used to prevent car sensors from beeping when drivers and passengers do not buckle up.
“Most of the modern vehicles are equipped with sensors which will activate an alarm or siren if seat belts are not fastened,’’ he said. But the dummy buckle is intended to mute the sensors when seat belts are not fastened, he told reporters yesterday.
Bernama reported on Feb 10 about Negri Sembilan Road Transport Department director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf voicing his concern over a trend among vehicle owners who use the dummy buckle to stop the seat belt alarm so that they could avoid fastening on the safety device.
“We found that over 30% of drivers prefer to wear the dummy buckle to silence the sound of the seat belt reminder, and their excuse is that it (the seat belt) is uncomfortable or that they forgot ... but that is a major offence because it can result in severe injury or death in the event of a road crash,” Hanif Yusabra was quoted as saying.
Loke also advised road users not to take their safety for granted while they are on the road.
“Wearing a seat belt is not just to follow regulations but it is for safety as seat belts protect drivers and passengers, especially those seated in front,’’ he said.
As such, he said dummy buckles would put their lives at risk.
Loke also said the ban remains enforced on three-pin sockets and USB ports in express buses, which took effect on Nov 6 last year.
The ban will remain until the completion of new wiring standards currently being developed by Energy Commission and Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) and new wiring policies and guidelines are issued by his ministry.
Days before the ban was introduced, an 18-year-old teenager died, suspected of electrocution, while charging his handphone in a socket on board an express bus.
