PETALING JAYA: Sealing a pothole repeatedly without addressing causative pavement issues is not a permanent solution, says a road safety expert.
Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua, head of the Road Safety Research Center, Engineering Faculty, Universiti Putra Malaysia, said potholes exhibit recurrent characteristics because filling the pavement hole alone seldom resolves the problem that triggers pothole formation.
Law, however, is quick to praise the response mechanism of the Works Ministry called “MyJalan” as a valuable tool facilitating efficient pothole repair activities.
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“Potholes are typically manifestations of road-pavement deterioration, rather than mere depressions on the road surface.
“A recurrent pothole may indicate ongoing pavement deterioration and/or drainage problems. Road managers need to regard potholes not solely as pavement distresses to be sealed temporarily but rather as indicators of underlying failures that may endanger traffic safety.”
Law explained that high-volume roads carrying large numbers of vehicles face much higher pavement loading compared with low traffic volume roads.
“Old pavements subjected to heavy traffic flows by large vehicles and utility excavation operations may exhibit sites vulnerable to recurrent defects.
“A pothole may become a hazard depending on its dimensions, location, depth, and surrounding traffic flow conditions.
“Relatively minor and shallow potholes mostly pose discomfort risks. Deep potholes may inflict damage to vehicle tyres, rims, suspension mechanisms, steering systems, and road users.
“Motorcycles suffer higher risk because potholes induce instability, particularly in areas subject to high-speed traffic flows.”
On MyJalan, Law stated that a Works Ministry report last year in August recorded that out of 12,459 road damage claims received via MyJalan, 11,860 cases (or 95.19%) had been addressed.
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“However, this success rate should not mislead stakeholders into believing that potholes cease being an issue in Malaysia.
“Complaint closure does not necessarily signify successful resolution of pothole problems, which implies elimination of underlying pavement and drainage failures. The jurisdiction of authorities over pavements poses additional challenges,” said Law, referring to the various roads under the purview of different authorities.
According to official Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department statistics, 2,367 road accidents were specifically attributed to road defects in 2024, although not necessarily potholes.
Of these, 706 were classified as fatal accidents.
