Rear-end collisions tops road accidents in Sarawak, says minister

MIRI (March 14): Rear-end collisions are the most common type of road accident in Sarawak, accounting for 28 per cent of all crashes recorded in the state, while human error remains the root cause of nearly nine out of every 10 incidents.

State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said statistics released by the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department of the Sarawak Contingent Police Headquarters showed that about 85 per cent of road accidents, from minor collisions to fatal crashes, stem from negligence and careless behaviour by road users.

“Beyond rear-end collisions, loss of vehicle control due to excessive speed or skidding is the second most frequent cause at 24 per cent, followed by side-swipe collisions at junctions, which account for roughly 15 per cent of cases.

“Head-on collisions and minor side scrapes made up the remainder, further reinforcing the pattern of driver-induced incidents,” he said.

Locally, figures from the Traffic Police Station at Miri District Police Headquarters showed that 524 property-damage accidents were recorded in Miri between January and February this year.

This marks an increase of 13 cases, or about 2.5 per cent, from 511 cases recorded in the same period last year.

Fatal accidents claimed six lives over the two-month period, mirroring the toll recorded during the same stretch in 2025.

Speaking during the Road Safety Campaign for Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2026 at a Petronas petrol station in Permyjaya on Friday, Lee urged motorists to exercise greater caution as the festive season approaches.

“Traffic volumes typically surge during major celebrations such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Gawai, substantially elevating the risk of accidents for those who fail to practise safe driving habits.

“Through this campaign, we want to remind all road users to return to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya safely. Leave safely and come back safely,” he said.

During the campaign, the ministry distributed specially designed ‘duit raya’ packets carrying road safety messages, including reminders to wear seatbelts and helmets, refrain from using mobile phones while driving, obey traffic signals and adhere to speed limits.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) in Miri inspected 15,581 vehicles between January and March, issuing 3,010 notices for various traffic offences during the same period.

The campaign was organised by the state Transport Ministry in collaboration with the JPJ, Royal Malaysia Police, the Sarawak Road Safety Council and the Miri Divisional Road Safety Committee.

Also present were Miri district officer Siti Rohanie Yusof, JPJ Miri branch chief Yusuf Andan, and inspector G. Visvanathan Guna Cekeren.