A VIDEO posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by user @luqmannyamiin highlights just why road fatalities in Malaysia remain high.
In a report published in mid-2023, the Transport Ministry said that Malaysia had one accident recorded every minute in 2022 and according to a study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), these accidents are mainly caused by ‘human behaviour.’
It stated that Malaysia has recently been on the international radar for road safety after a study by FINN showed that the country had recorded 22.48 road deaths per 100,000 people, ranking it in third place, while Thailand took second place and Saudi Arabia was ranked first in road fatalities with 35.94 road deaths per 100,000 people in the list of countries where you are most likely to die on the road.
‘Human behaviour’ almost caused a very bad accident to occur based on the dashcam video accompanying the post.
Many comments mirrored the poster’s anger at the lorry driver’s callousness when switching lanes.
Many vented their anger at these lorry drivers for being road bullies who pay little heed to the safety of others.
Many comments reflect how close a shave it was and the poster was very lucky to avoid a terrible mishap.
There were plenty of calls for the authorities to take action with stricter punishment and laws to remove such reckless drivers from Malaysian roads.
One pointed out where they could file a complaint while suggesting stiffer punishment for drivers of heavy vehicles as the potential for serious accidents is greater.
Many also seem to agree with the poster that this problem is especially pronounced in Johor, recalling individual experiences.
With this being the case, perhaps the authorities need to set up road blocks and more CCTVs along the above-mentioned highways.
It would also be good if the relevant authorities could act on such dashcam videos and also encourage more road users to report such reckless driving.
With the upcoming Raya holidays seeing an upsurge in road traffic as citizens balik kampong, this is an opportune time to put in place some extra safety measures, not to mention throwing the book at these errant drivers to make an example of them.
Over to you, Anthony Loke Siew Fook. – April 5, 2024
Main photo credit: @luqmannyamiin
