Road safety: Have patrol cars on highways

My letter in the New Straits Times today (the same letter also appears in The Star)

Road safety: Have patrol cars on highways
2010/12/23
A. HASHIM, Sungai Petani, Kedah

The authorities should play their part in reducing the country’s accident rate, such as Monday’s, which claimed 27 lives.



AFTER three major accidents involving buses in October and this month, I thought bus operators, drivers and the authorities would take serious note and put safety first.

But I was wrong.

Not only did the Cameron Highlands bus accident come too soon, it was also the deadliest in the country.

In three months, 51 people died in four bus accidents. I now have serious doubt whether this carnage will ever end.

The main reason for the high accident rate in the country is the attitude of the drivers and lack of enforcement on our roads, though mechanical failure, road condition and other factors also contribute to it.

The only "serious" traffic enforcement are roadblocks and saman ekor, which have not been effective at all. Roadblocks only catch small offences and cannot be done on highways, while speed traps are not a deterrent, especially when the government gives a discount on the fines.

I lived and travelled all over the United States for five years. Throughout this period, I did not encounter any roadblock. But on the highways, there would always be a patrol car or two ready to pull you over if you exceeded the speed limit or drove recklessly.

The presence of the patrol cars also deterred crimes and provided quick assistance when there was an accident or traffic jam. To prevent bribery and for other reasons, the patrol cars were equipped with a video recorder. Maybe we should follow their ways.

If the government is serious about tackling this issue, I suggest the following:

- Increase the fines for speeding and other major traffic offences and impose demerit points. The fines should be progressively higher for repeat offenders;

- Rather than spending money on speed cameras and related equipment and resources, put patrol cars on highways and major roads to catch the offenders red-handed;

- Do away with roadblocks unless there is a manhunt or serious security threat. Let patrol cars roam the roads round-the-clock and pull over suspicious vehicles. This will also deter Mat Rempit and other crimes on the road;

- Do not give any discount for traffic fine; instead, impose interest on late payment;

- Implement jail sentences for serious traffic offences like extreme speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and

- Increase inspection and monitoring of buses and their drivers.

The new year is just around the corner and it is time to make new resolutions. I hope that we have learnt our lesson and will do what it takes to make our roads safer.



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