Make seat belt use mandatory as a minimum safety standard, expert says
Using this safety device is crucial to reduce the severity of injuries during accidents, which could otherwise result in fatalities.
Wearing a seat belt is crucial to prevent more severe impact during accidents that could lead to fatalities. Photo for illustrative purposes only, inset: Hezeri
SHAH ALAM – Every passenger travelling in any type of vehicle, including Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) trucks, should be required to wear seat belts as a minimum safety standard.
Automotive expert Hezeri Samsuri said that using this safety device is crucial to reduce the severity of injuries during accidents, which could otherwise result in fatalities.
He also urged authorities to put an end to the practice of transporting security personnel in the back of trucks, as is seen in some African countries.
'Therefore, I urge the government to lead by example by making seat belt use mandatory for all government vehicles.
'Seat belts for bus and car passengers or multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) have long been mandatory, but if we don't enforce it, it becomes pointless,' he told Sinar .
Hezeri also pointed out that petroleum companies maintain high safety standards for all their vehicles, including tanker lorries, but security forces were not provided with such vehicles.
'Malaysia faces a problem in this regard. We lack enough enforcement officers, but we're unwilling to admit it. We want to adopt the European approach of self-policing, but the public still lacks discipline,' he said. In the 8.50am incident on May 13, a truck carrying 18 FRU personnel from Unit 5, Sungai Senam, Ipoh, was involved in a collision with a lorry while returning from an assignment in Teluk Intan, resulting in nine fatalities. Bernama FILE PIX
Hezeri suggested that security personnel could be transported using buses or off-road buses in the future to enhance their safety, especially when more rugged vehicles were needed.
In a related matter, he also proposed that bus drivers should be fined if passengers failed to use seat belts.
'With this approach, bus drivers will make sure passengers are wearing seat belts before driving off – a method already practised in Europe, Japan, Korea and China,' he added.
Yesterday, a preliminary report released by the Transport Ministry revealed that both vehicles involved in the fatal FRU truck crash in Teluk Intan last month were found to have breached key safety standards.
The FRU truck, which was carrying 18 personnel from Unit 5 Sungai Senam, lacked essential passive safety features, including seat belts in the rear cabin and front seats.
The bench-type rear seats had no restraints, and the absence of seat belts is believed to have significantly increased the severity of injuries during the May 13 collision.
The crash on May 13 occurred at 8.50am, killing eight officers at the scene, with another later succumbing to injuries at Teluk Intan Hospital.
Nine others were injured.
The FRU personnel were en route back to Ipoh after completing duty at the Chitrapournami celebration.
More Like This
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Rare earth magnet flow eases auto shutdown fears
BEIJING: The threat of mass shutdowns across the automotive supply chain is fading as Chinese rare earth magnets begin to flow, though automakers and suppliers say production plans still face uncertainties and a continued risk of shortages. European suppliers have received enough licences to avoid the widespread disruptions predicted earlier this month but hundreds of permits remain pending, said Nils Poel, head of market affairs at supplier association CLEPA. The rate of issuance is "accelerating" and has risen to 60% from 25%, he said, but cases where the end users are based in the United States, or where products move through third countries like India, are taking longer or not being prioritised. "Overall the feeling is that we probably will still have production in July and that the impact will be manageable," he said. "Maybe here and there a production line will be affected, but we have avoided that for the moment." On Friday, Ford CEO Jim Farley said during an appearance in Colorado that the company has had to shut down factories over the past three weeks because of magnet shortages, without elaborating. Volkswagen said in a statement to Reuters its supply of rare earth components was stable while rival Stellantis said it had addressed its immediate production concerns. China restricted exports of seven rare earths and related magnets in April in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. Three months later there remains huge uncertainty about how it intends to police its opaque and complex export licensing system. Since the restrictions were imposed, rare earth magnet exports from China have fallen roughly 75%, forcing some automaker production lines to halt in Asia, Europe and the United States. FROM 'FULL PANIC' TO 'BARE MINIMUM' The White House said on Thursday it had signed a deal with China to speed up rare earth approvals without providing details. Beijing said hours later both parties had confirmed details of the deal struck in London earlier this month, which was meant to resolve the rare earth issue, and it would process export licences in accordance with the law. Neither party detailed any changes to the existing export licensing system. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network on Friday that, under the agreement announced on Thursday, rare earth shipments to the United States from China would be expedited to all companies that have previously received them on a regular basis. "I am confident now... the magnets will flow," Bessent said. "This is a de-escalation." Two weeks ago the car industry was in a "full panic," but licence approvals by China have sped up and there is now less threat of a sudden stop, according to an executive at a leading U.S. automotive supplier and a source with knowledge of the supply chain at a major European carmaker. Both asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. China is approving the "bare minimum" of critical licences for European firms to avoid production stoppages, a European official told Reuters, also speaking on condition of anonymity. U.S. magnet maker Dexter Magnetic Technologies, which has defence clients, among others, has received just five of 180 licences since April, CEO Kash Mishra told Reuters, adding those were intended for non-defence sectors. "It's an extended delay," he said. "It's 45 days trying to get the paperwork right for the supplier, and then it's 45 more days or so before any licences are granted."
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
China's rare earths are flowing again, but not freely
BEIJING: The threat of mass shutdowns across the automotive supply chain is fading as Chinese rare earth magnets begin to flow, though automakers and suppliers say production plans still face uncertainties and a continued risk of shortages. European suppliers have received enough licences to avoid the widespread disruptions predicted earlier this month but hundreds of permits remain pending, said Nils Poel, head of market affairs at supplier association CLEPA. The rate of issuance is "accelerating" and has risen to 60% from 25%, he said, but cases where the end users are based in the United States, or where products move through third countries like India, are taking longer or not being prioritised. "Overall the feeling is that we probably will still have production in July and that the impact will be manageable," he said. "Maybe here and there a production line will be affected, but we have avoided that for the moment." On Friday, Ford CEO Jim Farley said during an appearance in Colorado that the company has had to shut down factories over the past three weeks because of magnet shortages, without elaborating. Volkswagen said in a statement to Reuters its supply of rare earth components was stable while rival Stellantis said it had addressed its immediate production concerns. China restricted exports of seven rare earths and related magnets in April in retaliation for U.S. tariffs. Three months later there remains huge uncertainty about how it intends to police its opaque and complex export licensing system. Since the restrictions were imposed, rare earth magnet exports from China have fallen roughly 75%, forcing some automaker production lines to halt in Asia, Europe and the United States. FROM 'FULL PANIC' TO 'BARE MINIMUM' The White House said on Thursday it had signed a deal with China to speed up rare earth approvals without providing details. Beijing said hours later both parties had confirmed details of the deal struck in London earlier this month, which was meant to resolve the rare earth issue, and it would process export licences in accordance with the law. Neither party detailed any changes to the existing export licensing system. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network on Friday that, under the agreement announced on Thursday, rare earth shipments to the United States from China would be expedited to all companies that have previously received them on a regular basis. "I am confident now... the magnets will flow," Bessent said. "This is a de-escalation." Two weeks ago the car industry was in a "full panic," but licence approvals by China have sped up and there is now less threat of a sudden stop, according to an executive at a leading U.S. automotive supplier and a source with knowledge of the supply chain at a major European carmaker. Both asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. China is approving the "bare minimum" of critical licences for European firms to avoid production stoppages, a European official told Reuters, also speaking on condition of anonymity. U.S. magnet maker Dexter Magnetic Technologies, which has defence clients, among others, has received just five of 180 licences since April, CEO Kash Mishra told Reuters, adding those were intended for non-defence sectors. "It's an extended delay," he said. "It's 45 days trying to get the paperwork right for the supplier, and then it's 45 more days or so before any licences are granted."
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
European shares climb as US-China trade tensions ease
EUROPEAN shares rose on Friday as investors assessed signs of easing trade tensions between the United States and China, lifting hopes of further trade deals before the deadline for U.S. tariff pause is lifted in July. The pan-European STOXX 600 index advanced 0.6% at 540.67 points, as of 0707 GMT. The index was on track to log its first weekly gain in three weeks. Other major regional indexes also traded higher. A White House official said on Thursday that the U.S. reached an agreement with China on how to expedite rare earths shipments to the United States. With worries about tensions in the Middle East taking a backseat for now, investor focus is on signs of progress on new trade deals before a respite on higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump expires in early July. EU leaders discussed new proposals from the U.S. on a trade deal at a summit in Brussels on Thursday. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did not ruling out the likelihood of tariff talks failing, saying 'all options remain on the table'. European auto stocks led sectoral gains with a 1.5% climb. Media shares advanced 1.2%. German sportswear makers Puma and Adidas gained 4.3% and 2.9% respectively, after U.S. peer Nike's first-quarter revenue outlook exceeded market expectations. In U.S., investors await the release of the core PCE price index due later in the day.
