HULU SELANGOR: The Highway Investigation Unit (HIU), which investigates minor accidents along the North-South Expressway (NSE), was officially launched today.
The unit, under the supervision of Federal police Traffic Enforcement Investigation Department (TEID), was established to investigate road accidents along the northern, central and southern zones of the NSE.
The northern zone is from Perlis to Ipoh; central zone (Ipoh–Seremban) and southern zone (Seremban-Johor Baru).
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the unit comprised three officers and 63 rank and file personnel.
“The unit’s pilot project was started on Sept 7, 2016. It received positive feedback from the respondents, where 96 per cent of them rated the service ‘excellent’. I hope HIU will facilitate solving the problems faced by highway users and will extend its services in time to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said during the launching ceremony of HIU and the 12th Op Selamat in conjunction with Chinese New Year campaign at the Ulu Bernam rest area.
With HIU, road users involved in accidents are no longer required to lodge reports at police stations; they can do so at the scene or at HIU offices at the respective zones.
Meanwhile, Fuzi said the number of accidents increased six per cent or 1,180 cases during last year’s Chinese New Year Op Selamat compared to 2016, adding that fatal accidents, however, had shown a decline.
Motorcycle riders and pillion riders still accounted for the record highest number of deaths, at 151.
This year’s two-week safety campaign, with the theme “Rumah Selamat, Selamat Sampai ke Destinasi”, will take place Feb 9-23.
Present today were Plus Bhd chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim, Prima Merdu Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Amer Hamzah Ahmed and TEID director Assistant Commissioner Sharul Othman Mansor.