GEORGE TOWN: The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) has called for a ban on sales of dangerous car accessories.
This follows a recent report by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), which issued a warning against the use of dummy buckles to prevent seat belt alarms from activating, which could compromise a car's safety features.
Originally designed to extend the standard seatbelt for plus-sized individuals, dummy buckles have been misused by many drivers who did not want to use their seat belts.
The Miros report said that this accessory could also disrupt the optimal function of other safety components, such as airbags, potentially jeopardising the lives of both the driver and passengers in an accident.
A 2020 study conducted by Miros revealed that more than 12 per cent of drivers surveyed said they were using dummy buckles, and the figure could increase if action was not taken promptly.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said their recent survey indicated that these dummy buckles were available at online shopping platforms and car accessories shops, which were priced as low as RM3.00 to RM8.00.
"It is essential to underscore the significance of seatbelts as one of the most crucial safety innovations in road safety, particularly in reducing fatalities and serious injuries, with an almost 50 per cent reduction in such incidents during frontal vehicle collisions for both drivers and front passengers.
"Despite efforts dating back to 2020 to raise awareness about the risks associated with dummy buckles, their sale still persists in the market.
"Furthermore, the absence of legislation prohibiting the sale of such products remains a concern," he said today.
As such, Mohideen said CAP was calling on the Transport Ministry and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to take decisive action to ban the sale of dummy buckles.
"We urge the government to ban the sales of dangerous car accessories once and for all," he added.