Seatbelt safety demands strict enforcement

THE July 1 directive that made seatbelts compulsory for all passengers and drivers on express and tour buses marks a pivotal moment for public transport safety in Malaysia.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) began full enforcement of the directive in line with the Motor Vehicles (Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems) Regulations 1978 Amendment.

Spurred in part by tragic incidents like the recent bus crash in Gerik, Perak, that claimed 15 lives, it is a commendable initiative.

It recognises that safety cannot be an afterthought, and that every occupant, regardless of vehicle type, deserves protection.

The JPJ launched immediate operations nationwide to enforce the directive, including the deployment of undercover tactics, which resulted in fines for passengers who were non-compliant.

Bus operators, too, are being held accountable, with mandates for functional seatbelts and passenger reminders.

This decisive enforcement right from the get-go is precisely what is needed for a new regulation to take root and effect real change.

It sends a strong message that this isn’t just another rule, but a serious commitment to saving lives.

As the Transport Ministry ramps up enforcement on various road safety issues, it is time the law is taken seriously to protect lives.

Some road users don’t seem to take the protection of even their own lives seriously – many have been using dummy seat belt buckles, which prevent car sensors from beeping when drivers and passengers do not buckle up.

The JPJ raised the alarm about the trend of using the device after inspections found it fitted in the vehicles of a third of motorists.

According to research by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Centre, the use of dummy seat belt buckles has contributed to several fatal road accidents, and they significantly increase the risk of serious injury or death due to the absence of a functioning seat belt.

Well, the Transport Ministry listened, and as of Dec 31 this year, the import of dummy seat belt buckles and latch plates used to mute warning beeps will be prohibited.

Despite the horrific accidents over the years, though, we still don’t take road accidents seriously, it seems.

For 16 years, a law requiring passengers in the backseat of vehicles to wear seatbelts has been in effect, but many – dare we say, most – passengers do not do so.

Compliance remains shockingly low, at about 10%-15%.

This is an ongoing problem: Malaysia has many sensible, even live-saving laws and regulations in place but people don’t heed them, and, crucially, enforcement is either lacking or absent entirely.

Is that what will happen with the July 1 directive for seatbelts on buses?

While the horror of the Gerik accident still resonates, with the issue is still making headlines, enforcement is downright fierce – but will that continue until wearing a seatbelt becomes an ingrained habit?

Obviously, it didn’t work with the backseat belt requirement.

It did work with driving in the emergency lane.

We remember when traffic cops were strict about vehicles that illegally entered the lane, pulling them over and issuing fines (and this was back when fines were not discounted like cheap sales).

People are still reluctant to use that lane even in a traffic jam.

Now we just have to make sure enforcement of wearing seatbelts on buses and in the backseat has the same effect.