KUALA LUMPUR: A change in attitude behind the wheels can save lives.
Alliance of Safety Community (Ikatan) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said a study by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) revealed that 85 per cent of road accidents were due to reckless driving.
“Among the major contributing factors to accidents were speeding, changing lanes without giving any signal, racing, vehicle overtaking, running through red lights and mobile phone usage while driving,” he said.
He said the attitude of drivers who did not want to abide by traffic rules was among the topics discussed.
Lee pointed out that to a certain extent, festive seasons were also synonymous with nightmarish road tragedies.
He said the road accidents statistics showed an increase of 2.5 per cent last year with 281,527 cases in comparison to 2018 with 274,556 cases, with the highest number recorded in Selangor with 83,607 cases followed by Johor (41,161) and Kuala Lumpur (36,288).
At the same time, the driver’s physical well-being was also crucial in ensuring a safe journey.
“They should make sure that their vehicles’ tyres are in good condition and the brakes are functioning properly. For those with small children, please install car seats to ensure safety.”
Lee said statistics show that the usage of child safety seats reduce accident risks by 71 per cent for babies, children aged one to four (54 per cent) and children aged four to eight (45 per cent).
He advised people to use public transport such as trains to reduce the risk of road accidents.
“For drivers, they are advised to plan their journeys by checking on the travel time advisory to avoid traffic jams.”
He said the Chinese New Year festive season would normally see droves of vehicles making way to various destinations.
“The Chinese would go back to their hometowns to celebrate with their loved ones. Other communities in Malaysia would also take this opportunity to visit their relatives or go on vacations.
“In conjunction with this festive season, I would like to wish a Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai!
“Let us continue to observe road safety and be law-abiding citizens to reduce accident statistics. By making a smart and vigilant choice on the road, may we all reach safely to our desired destinations.”