KULA: 3ES FOCUS TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS
2 deaths a day due to road mishaps reported to Socso in 2017, says human resources minister
THE government will continue to focus on empowering the 3Es (engineering, enforcement and education) approach to reduce road accidents.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said the approach must be implemented in an integrated manner and required government agencies’ cooperation.
“The engineering factor is an important element. For example, building a motorcycle lane or manufacturing a vehicle with high-security features can reduce accidents.
“Enforcement is through police or the Road Transport Department to foster compliance with road regulations, while the education approach plays a role in the development of road safety practices.”
He was speaking at the opening of the Malaysia Commuting Accident and Road Safety 2018 (MyCARSS 2018) Seminar at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.
MyCARSS 2018, organised by the Social Security Organisation (Socso), aims to provide a message on strengthening cooperation between strategic partners and stakeholders for better road safety.
The two-day seminar, themed “Fostering Commuting Safety Culture Towards Vision Zero”, highlights accident prevention and the promotion of good health among workers.
Kulasegaran said 69,980 accidents were reported to Socso last year and 47 per cent of them involved road accidents while commuting to work.
“There were 667 deaths due to road accidents, compared with 257 deaths due to workplace accidents. This figure is worrying because on average, three deaths are reported to Socso each day — two deaths due to road accidents and one at the workplace.”
He said efforts to ensure the safety of workers during their daily commute must be done by all parties and required a systematic framework.
“It is time to boost this effort through the special function of Socso officers.”