THE recent Hari Raya Op Selamat was a success with fewer fatalities and accidents. As a result, the police are suggesting that it becomes a regular feature of year-round policing. But how was this year different to previous years? What made the difference? After all, Op Selamat has gone on for years and not until the last one did the rising annual trend shifted and changed direction. And, identifying that something special might make a difference between an expensive mobilisation of resources and an effective one.
So what was it? Some said it was the traffic information made available through social media platforms and applications, such as Waze. Information on which roads were less congested helped travellers plan their balik kampung travel. Indeed, engagement with the public via traditional and social media made journeys less stressful for drivers. Surely, however, it is not the stress of heavily congested roads alone that have, each year, contributed to the ever-increasing level of fatal accidents, especially, and accidents, generally. Readily available information on road conditions alone is not a plausible reason for the reduction in reckless drivers; those who cause accidents, both serious and otherwise.
Some say the constant reminder to drivers to drive safely is another reason why people were more careful than usual. Maybe so. Radios, not usually prone to urging safe driving outside festive seasons, do exactly that for the holiday period and radios are what keep travellers company throughout their journey. More the norm are electronic sign- boards. They carry safety messages all the time when not used to provide specific traffic information for road users. Granted outside of the festive seasons accidents average out at levels deemed acceptable and surges dramatically only during the exodus, but they happen nonetheless even when traffic flow is normal.
One more significant observation made by drivers during this recent holiday is the ubiquitous presence of the enforcers. They were especially evident at the rest and relax areas (R&Rs) and the toll booths, but they were everywhere. That many noticed their presence at the R&Rs suggests people took heed of the advice given; to rest when tired. Added to this is the pre-travel period where the public was bombarded with the authority’s intention to come down hard on offenders like hauling users of emergency lanes straight to court to be left at the mercy of magistrates. No mere RM300 fine for them. In fact, the number of summonses issued in the first days of the operation was high, testifying to the no-nonsense attitude of officers. They kept their promise and laid down the law without fear or favour. It is this tough approach that must have gotten through to drivers. That it is the logical solution to road safety cannot be denied. While a regular Op Selamat throughout the year would reduce road fatalities, its most essential element is tough, unforgiving policing. Adequate manpower is necessary but it is the heavy hand of the law that, in the final analysis, inhibits the dangerous driver.