WHEN ordinary Malaysians are grappling with rising cost-of-living issues, the last thing they need is unwanted expenses in the form of police or JPJ (Road Transport Department) summonses.
This was the pertinent point made by amighul deghaman (@ricXXXkiddo) with a post on X (formerly Twitter) reminding car owners to regularly check their third brake lights.
This simple item is an important part of the car’s warning system alerting other road users when it is slowing down, and is wont to happen the light can malfunction. With it situated in the rear windscreen and facing outwards, drivers regularly are caught unawares that this essential piece of equipment has gone on the blink.
Ramai sebenarnya tak perasan tentang lampu brek ketiga ni. Kalau tengok video ni, ramai juga yang rosak lampu brek ketiga ni.
Adakah pihak jpj ada terus saman? Ataupun just warning? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/R5MMmGMLnS
— amighul deghaman (@ricxxxkiddo) June 16, 2024
amighul deghaman’s post shared a brief video of a police road block where a number of vehicles had faulty third brake lights, highlighting that this is indeed a common issue.
Drivers caught with faulty or absent taillights are subject to Section 119(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for general offences and penalties. According to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), errant motorists can be fined up to RM2,000 and face imprisonment of not more than six months if convicted.
This PSA (public service announcement) was timely and well-received by netizens as the post has generated 565,800 views at the time of writing.
Below are some of the comments accompanying the post with most agreeing that the third brake light is an essential safety item and the onus is on motorists to ensure it is functioning on their vehicles.
Many saw the importance of enforcing this requirement.
However, some did ask for some leeway to be given in such situations, with perhaps a grace period for motorists to fix the problem.
One netizen agreed that this offence ought to be punished but asked the pertinent question of how those who live alone could check whether the third light of their car is working or otherwise.
The solution is actually quite simple as suggested by one netizen – check at tyre shop or petrol station with the help of an attendant. Conversely, put a mobile phone on record mode and place it where the third brake light is, press brakes and check accordingly.
Some observed that this problem seems to regularly affect certain marques or hatchback models, especially among the national cars.
Some commented that the price of replacing the third brake light was a fraction of the potential summons.
While another cheekily pointed out that there was no “escape” if caught by JPJ.
While this PSA may seem like common sense, there were those who were completely ignorant of this item. One wonders how these “drivers” ever got their licenses if they are not aware of the existence of a third brake light.
In this case, ignorant is not bliss. It may result in a summons or worse, an accident with disastrous consequences.
As one netizen pointed out, this was a common-sense issue that took very little effort to ensure the third brake light was functioning. After all, it was for the safety and benefit of all road users. – June 19, 2024
