Minister stresses urgency of road safety initiatives

SARAWAK recorded a total of 17,699 road accidents between January and October this year, according to a Royal Malaysian Police Department (PDRM) report.

Minister for Transport, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said of the figure, 301 involved fatal accident cases resulting in 349 deaths, with an additional 122 categorised as serious accidents.

“These figures contribute to the total of 495,698 reported accidents in Malaysia for the same period.

“There are 27,793 cases of road accidents in 2022 compared to 20,788 cases in 2021 which shows an increase of 33.6 per cent.

“Based on these statistics, motorcar vehicles recorded the highest number and accounts for more than half of the total number of cases, followed by four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycle,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting on Monday (Nov 27).

He stressed that continuous education and awareness campaigns as well as enforcement activities are critical road safety strategies to reduce accidents on the road.

He said the ministry, through the Sarawak Road Safety Council and collaboration with various stakeholders, is implementing various awareness programmes and initiatives to increase public awareness on road safety.

Aside from road safety programmes, he said the ministry is also addressing the traffic situation in school areas, as part of the Road Safety Strategy by educating the young children.

He said the ministry with the Resident Office have organised the Transport-Awareness Behavioural Change (T-ABC) Programme in Miri and Kuching divisions, which targets young schoolchildren, parents and teachers with the objective to address road user behaviour and improve road safety.

Lee said the same programme will be held in Sri Aman Division tentatively in December this year.

He added that the ministry will continue and strengthen its collaboration with the media, enforcement departments and agencies to further educate the public on road safety.