Latest news with #SuretSingh
The Star
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Barricade the water hazards
Useful device: A glass breaker is a handy tool to smash the side windows during an emergency as shown during a safety demonstration. PETALING JAYA: Roads that run alongside bodies of water like rivers or ponds must be properly barricaded with guardrails to prevent tragedies. Such crash barriers can prevent tragedies like the one in Kedah on Saturday, which claimed the lives of a family of six, said road safety expert Datuk Suret Singh. The Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member said the relevant authorities should make it a mandatory road design requirement to have guardrails at locations where vehicles can careen off into water bodies or ravines. 'This would protect a vehicle that may skid off the road from plunging into a lake or river. 'There should also be adequate street lighting along roads that pose such a hazard,' he said. Other factors that could contribute to such accidents include speeding, worn tyres, faulty brakes and defective steering systems, the former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman said. Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre head Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said among factors that could lead to motorists losing control of their vehicle are distractions during driving, such as using a cellphone or failing to take note of changing road conditions – like a surface becoming wet and slippery after or during a downpour. 'Motorists should also stay updated with weather reports and flood warnings, especially in monsoon-prone or coastal regions. 'Streams of water flowing over a road surface, even when it is shallow, may indicate rising water levels. 'It is safer to turn back and wait it out until the weather improves. 'During such seasons, night driving should also be avoided, as it is difficult to judge the depth of water and hidden potholes in darkness,' he told The Star. Law said being overly confident of a vehicle's capability could also lead to fatal consequences, as no vehicle is floodproof. 'Lighter, compact vehicles like sedans and compact cars are more vulnerable to buoyancy or being swept away compared to heavier trucks. 'However, no motor vehicle, SUV or four-wheel drive is flood-proof because even large vehicles can be caught in deep and moving waters and leave their occupants stranded. 'A mere six to 12 inches of water will float a car. Two feet of deep water will sweep away nearly all vehicles. 'Fast-moving water also exerts incredible pressure. At 12 inches high, it can toss a half-tonne vehicle around. 'Water also covers up or hides hazards like obstructions, open manholes or washed-out roadbeds,' he said. Law also said there are also dangerous myths of escaping submerged vehicles, such as claims that one should 'wait until the car fills with water to open the door'. He said such a move meant wasting time, adding that those trapped should initiate an escape as quickly as possible. 'Headrests stems are also touted to be capable of breaking side windows, but most headrests in modern vehicles lack the sharp metal spikes needed to shatter glass. It is best to use a special emergency window-breaking tool, which every motorist should carry in their vehicle,' he said. On Monday, a couple and their four children, aged between six months and nine years, were found dead in their submerged car in Sungai Korok, Kedah. The victims were returning to Jerlun on Saturday after visiting relatives but became unreachable. A search was mounted and the car was found in the river. The victims, Muhammad Azim Izat Ishak, 32, and his wife, Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31; Putra Rayyan Nur Izat, 9; Eve Adriana, 8; Anayla Huma'ira, 7; and Tuah Haidar, six months old, were found lifeless and huddled in the back seat of their car.
The Star
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Time to enforce rear seat belt law
PETALING JAYA: For 16 years, a law requiring back seat passengers to wear seat belts has existed, but enforcement has been weak and many passengers remain complacent. As the Transport Ministry ramps up enforcement on various road safety issues, experts say it's time the law is taken seriously to protect lives. The use of rear seat belts was mandated under the Motor Vehicles (Seatbelt) Rules 2008, with enforcement initially scheduled to begin in 2013, following a period of public advocacy. Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said enough time has passed since the law's introduction. 'The advocacy period was only one or two years. The use of the rear seat belt needs to be enforced as there is clear complacency now. During the early promotion campaigns, before enforcement even began, rear seat belt usage was already at 45-47%. 'We were making great progress. But now, I believe usage has dropped to just 10-15%,' said the former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman. Miros chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said many rear passengers mistakenly believe they don't need to use seat belts due to cushioning from the front seat. 'This is a myth. The seats are not designed to absorb that sort of impact to save your life. 'It is the seat belt that is designed to do so. Do not expect the front seat to minimise the impact,' he said, adding that wearing a rear seat belt can reduce the risk of fatality by 25-45%. He also warned that unbelted rear passengers endanger others in the vehicle. 'If the rear passengers do not wear their seat belt during a crash, they can be thrown forward, pushing the front seat and increasing risk to the front passenger and driver,' he said. Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua, head of the Road Safety Research Centre at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Engineering Faculty, said the ban on dummy seat belt buckles and the requirement for all buses to have seat belts is an encouraging step towards improving safety measures on the roads. However, he said it is just as important to reconsider the enforcement of rear seat belt usage in private vehicles. 'Enforcement and public compliance are far from satisfactory despite mandatory usage. Many rear passengers do not bother to wear seat belts due to a combination of laziness, ignorance or lack of enforcement. 'We need to shift our attention from legislation towards actual implementation. Strong enforcement along with unrelenting public awareness campaigns is essential,' said Prof Law. He also agreed that wearing seat belts reduced the chances of injury or death and that unbuckled rear passengers could endanger others too during a collision. According to the Motor Vehicles Rules (Seatbelt) regulation, vehicle drivers and passengers who do not use a seat belt (front or rear) can be fined up to RM2,000 or jailed for one year or both.
The Star
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
‘Enforce stricter GPS rules'
PETALING JAYA: A failure to comply with the mandatory installation of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in commercial vehicles or attempts to hoodwink the authorities with a dummy device should warrant a revocation of operating permits, say road safety experts. Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said the scheduled industry code of practice audits, which are conducted on all lorries and bus operators, entail the installation of GPS and check if a company has a safety officer. The audit also determines if journeys taken by the commercial vehicle are monitored and complaints of misconduct are addressed by the company. 'The audit also examines if pre-journey safety checks on the vehicle's condition are carried out and if drivers are fit to undertake the trip. 'Despite all these stringent checks, if some companies opt to install a dummy GPS, then they are sending a message that they do not care about the safety of other road users,' he said. In such cases, Suret said the authorities should come down hard on these rogue operators, revoke their permits and not let them off with just a warning. 'Stern action such as suspending or revoking the permit should be the new policy. 'Operators who run their fleet of vehicles responsibly and ethically should be given more opportunity,' said the former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman. Road safety expert Law Teik Hua said heavy vehicle operators resort to dummy GPS due to financial and operational factors. 'Some view GPS tracking as an unnecessary cost, particularly if they think they can evade fines. 'Others disable or fake tracking in a bid to hide unsafe practices such as drivers exceeding hours on duty or driving via dangerous shortcuts,' said Law, who heads Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre. Law said GPS tampering enables wrongdoing such as cargo theft or smuggling, adding that the absence of real-time tracking prevents fleet managers from acting fast during emergencies such as breakdowns or accidents. He said authorities need to conduct random checks to ensure not just the presence of GPS devices but also real-time operability. 'Sanctions for dummy or inoperable tracking systems must be stringent to discourage non-compliance, such as hefty fines or revocation of operating permits. 'Transport businesses, on the other hand, must be incentivised to install tamper-evident telematics systems with capabilities such as automatic notification of signal loss or tampering.' Law said real-time GPS tracking is a safety measure to prevent accidents, hold drivers accountable and streamline logistics. 'Ghost GPS defeats these advantages, inflicting unwarranted danger on the whole road community. 'With improved enforcement, more transparency and use of improved technology, the industry can transition to safer, more trustworthy means of managing fleets,' said Law. A ghost GPS is a decoy tracker used to mislead the actual GPS device, usually hidden elsewhere in a vehicle. Traffic consultant Dr Rosli Azad Khan said the use of dummy GPS devices by heavy vehicle operators is deeply disturbing as it reflects a culture of impunity and disregard for safety regulations. Rosli said that under the Land Public Transport Act 2010, the use of functioning GPS devices is a legal requirement. 'The purpose is clear to monitor vehicle speed, track location, ensure safe driving behaviour and allow operators to act swiftly when any violations occur,' added Rosli. To address the issue, he called for the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) and the Transport Ministry to launch an urgent audit on commercial vehicle operators with random roadside inspections. Rosli also proposed that criminal charges be levelled against those who install fake GPS systems in heavy vehicles. 'Charges under criminal code, not just transport laws, must be considered,' he said. Rosli said repeat offenders should be blacklisted from holding any public service vehicle permits and GPS data should be streamed live to a central monitoring system under Apad or the Road Transport Department (JPJ). 'The government should expedite the installation of dashboard cameras or dashcams in heavy commercial vehicles. 'The proposed dashcam regulation must not be delayed beyond the first quarter of next year,' added Rosli. Issues with dummy GPS came to the surface after a preliminary report of a road crash in Teluk Intan on May 13, which killed nine Federal Reserve Unit officers. The report revealed that the tipper lorry involved was overloaded by more than 70%, failed its safety inspection and had no seat belts or headrests for passengers.
The Star
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
‘Blood tests preferred for vocational driving licence'
PETALING JAYA: Compulsory blood tests for drug abuse among commercial vehicle drivers should be done yearly to help identify habitual substance users and reduce the risk they pose to other road users, say experts. Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said blood tests for substance abuse should be included as part of the compulsory medical examination required to obtain a vocational driving licence. He said as such tests may raise costs in the compulsory medical examination for commercial vehicle drivers, it should be conducted at government medical facilities such as public health clinics for free or for a small fee. 'To protect the chain of responsibility for road safety, it is best that the medical examination be conducted at government healthcare centres. 'There should be a mandatory blood test and not a urine test which can be tampered with. 'There should also be ease in taking the medical examination for the drivers without long waiting times,' he told The Star. He said the authorities should act on drivers who have a record for dangerous driving. 'This can be ascertained by the number of summonses such drivers may have. 'If they are found with multiple summonses, their vocational driving licences such as goods driving licence (GDL) or public service vehicle (PSV) licence should be promptly suspended. 'These drivers should be made to undergo a rehabilitation course before the suspension is lifted,' Suret said. Negri Sembilan Lorry Operators' Association treasurer Alvin Loke also backed the proposal for compulsory drug screening and said that such medical examinations should be conducted at public healthcare facilities. 'This is due to rising costs and the wages of drivers that have been stagnant for a long time. Such tests may be costly and unaffordable for the drivers. 'Currently, drivers pay between RM10 and RM50 for the annual medical examination which is required to obtain a vocational licence,' he said. Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said compulsory drug tests on prospective heavy vehicle drivers are necessary. 'If heavy vehicle drivers are under the influence of drugs, they will certainly pose a serious threat to other road users. 'I urge the relevant authorities to make the requirement compulsory,' he said. Additionally, Lee said the drug tests should not only be done prior to the driver's employment. 'Random drug tests should also be conducted to ensure the drivers are drug free,' he said. Lee also proposed that the wages scheme for drivers be changed. 'They should not be paid according to trips. They should be given a fair salary compatible with the work that they do for eight hours. 'That way, they will have sufficient rest,' he said. Lee said those who are paid according to trips have the tendency to make more trips in order to earn more. 'Unfortunately, to stay awake, many of them take drugs. It is actually one of the causes for drug taking on the part of drivers,' he said.
