20 road fatalities in Sabah last month
KOTA KINABALU: Road safety campaign is important to help reduce road accidents in Sabah, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ir. Shahelmey Yahya.
He said such campaigns are also important to increase public awareness especially during festive celebrations.
Shahelmey said in January this year alone, Sabah had recorded 1,634 road accidents with 20 fatalities.
“Such campaign is important to increase public awareness on the importance of staying safe on the road especially during festive celebrations.
“This could help reduce road accidents as well as road fatalities,” he said during the Road Safety Campaign in Putatan yesterday.
The campaign was organised by the Public Works Ministry through the Road Safety Department and in collaboration with several agencies, including the Royal Malaysian Police, Road Transport Department, Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department, Sabah Health Department, Vehicle Licensing Board and local authorities.
Shahelmey added that road users must play an important role in ensuring road safety and not rely fully on enforcement.
“We need to take the road safety aspect seriously, the drivers themselves need to ensure that their vehicles are always in good and safe condition before making any long trips when balik kampung. This is not only to ensure the safety of their passengers and loved ones, but also the safety of other road users.
“Action must be taken against road users who are careless for causing unwanted road accidents.
“My ministry therefore welcomes all agencies and departments to collaborate to improve the road safety to the highest level,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shahelmey, who is also the Tanjung Keramat assemblyman and Putatan MP said, about 50 drains throughout Sabah have been cleaned to prevent flash floods.
He said the works are carried out by the local authorities and other departments from time to time.
“The flash flood is caused by relatively high rainfall, however there are other factors which could cause flash floods such as blockage of drainage systems and construction work that do not follow the specific standard operating procedures,” he said.
Shahelmey also said that his ministry is still in the process of getting feedback from engineers in areas that have been affected by the flood.