Vehicle checks must be done properly to prevent crashes

ANOTHER tragic crash has occurred in Genting Highlands, this time claiming the lives of seven and leaving eight others injured.

The vehicle, a chartered van with 13 occupants, crashed into a concrete divider as it was going down the winding Genting Highlands road.

My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

About three months ago, the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) held a session on road safety and security. Among the presenters was a director from Puspakom, who showed a video clip of a lorry that had crashed into a road divider due to brake failure.

I asked why lorry crashes were always attributed to “loss of control of the vehicle”, considering that all commercial vehicles (including vans chartered by tourists) must undergo and pass a mandatory road-worthiness inspection at Puspakom.

The shocking reply was that the law currently allows vehicles with brake pads (being one of the major items checked) of at least 60% thickness to pass the test.

I would think that these brake pads would wear down to 40% in about two months if they are used for commercial purposes daily. This might not be sufficient under certain strenuous circumstances.

In the case of the van, going downhill at full capacity may have caused the brake pads to heat up, possibly reducing the efficacy of the braking system.

There are many factors that led to that crash, but that will be determined by the Road Safety Department.

What is important is that all commercial vehicles must have 100% new brake pads after the inspection and the tyre treads must also meet the regulations.

The Puspakom director claimed that there are syndicates that “guarantee a pass” during the inspection, whereby they fit new parts for the inspection and once the tests are done, the old parts are put back.

Strict action, including jail terms, must be taken on these syndicates.

As for the parts, I propose that they be marked so that in the event of a crash, the authorities can check the last inspection and see whether these were the ones tested.

Official figures by Bukit Aman show that a total of 402,626 road crashes were recorded in Malaysia from January to September 2022, resulting in 4,379 fatalities.

According to a study conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on the economic aspect of road crashes, the cost of a life works out to RM2.3mil.

Let’s see what the current Transport Minister has up his sleeve to address road safety.

DATUK ALEX LYE

Petaling Jaya [The writer is president of IAATI

(International Association of Auto Theft Investigators) Asia.]