‘Curbing fatal accidents begins with strict standards’
PETALING JAYA: With Malaysian roads still plagued by negligent drivers causing fatal accidents, experts say the government should step up enforcement and push for a more defensive driving culture to prevent further deaths.
Recently, the Transport Ministry revealed that negligent and reckless driving caused 1,250 fatal accidents as of September this year, far exceeding the casualties caused by drunk driving (four) or defective traffic signals (four).
This includes careless and dangerous driving, which caused 701 and 104 fatal accidents respectively.
Dangerous or incorrect turning and overtaking respectively caused 33 and 80 of such accidents.
Other fatal accidents include negligent entry and exit of vehicles (13), negligent entry and exit at junctions (97), following other vehicles too closely (77), speeding (113) and failing to obey traffic lights (32).
Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said this clearly indicates that the majority of Malaysian drivers have not mastered proper driving techniques despite having licences.
He said egoistic and selfish drivers who disregard others make this situation worse.
“Some drivers change their attitudes when on the road, becoming bullies who are aggressive and inconsiderate towards other road users.
“This egoistic attitude greatly affects their ability to think rationally in terms of controlling their emotions,” Lee said, adding that this usually results from life or emotional stress.
To address the issue, he called for comprehensive reforms, including improvements to driver education and stricter enforcement to encourage more responsible driving.
“Driving education must go beyond just obtaining a licence and focus on attitude, behaviour, defensive driving and compliance with road laws.
“There must be stricter action against traffic offenders, the abolition of discounts for traffic compounds and stronger self-enforcement practices,” Lee said.
He added that mandatory health screenings and hazard perception tests should be part of licence issuance and renewal.
Lee also elaborated on the importance of learning defensive driving, which includes proper speed management, maintaining constant awareness and eliminating possible distractions like mobile phones.
“All motorists should treat driving as an active mental task that requires continuous attention and self-regulation at all times,” said Lee, who is also a Road Safety Council member.
Road safety expert Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua of Universiti Putra Malaysia said the persistent issue of unsafe driving is due to the widespread lack of driver discipline among road users.
“The current framework does not provide for a degree of serious accountability.
“This has led to a number of drivers having the perception that they can get away with some driving mistakes.
“This is made worse by other factors like inadequate mandatory driving training for new motorists, a widespread culture of impatience, and the lack of fear of enforcement among motorists,” he said.
To this, Law called on the government to take on a more holistic approach through tougher enforcement and education as a means of discouraging negligent or reckless driving.
He said this includes expanding the automated traffic summons system along all roads to better ensure traffic offences are properly recorded, such as the Automated Awareness Safety System, which uses advanced speed and red-light cameras.
“Doing this will ensure the effectiveness of the Demerit Points System For Traffic Offences (Kejara) to suspend the licences of repeat violators.
“Driving school curriculum should also emphasise more on defensive driving practices that enable drivers to anticipate mistakes of other drivers on the road,” Law added.
