Beware of speed demons on Malaysian roads

KUALA LUMPUR: Do Malaysian drivers turn a bit deranged during the festive holidays?

Just imagine the following scenario. You are taking your family up north and you are driving in the far left lane of the highway at a leisurely pace of 90 km/hour.

All of a sudden, an imported car speeds past you on the right lane, then it slows down and, again suddenly, the driver hurriedly cuts into your lane in front of you.

You have no choice but to slam on your emergency brake, giving your elderly father, who is a heart patient, a jolt.

Your startled mother quickly catches hold of her three-year- old grandchild.

What would have happened if you had not been alert? You and your three family members would have ended up becoming road accident statistics – that’s what would have happened. Domino effect Malaysian drivers are generally known for their reckless driving and have a tendency to turn into ‘speed demons’ the minute they sit behind the wheel.

Patience is certainly not among their virtues as they have this irritating habit of switching lanes frequently whenever there is traffic congestion, probably assuming that the traffic is flowing smoothly on every other lane, except theirs.

Many of my friends find this lane- switching mentality most annoying. A friend of mine, aged 45, who wanted to be identified as Mr A, grumbled: “I think such drivers should be forced to attend classes to learn some logic.”

He said if a driver were to move into another lane suddenly, the other drivers on the lane he is “barging” in would have to slow down to allow him to cut in and also to avoid accidents from taking place.

“This will have a Domino effect, whereby the motorists at the back will also have to apply their brakes and slow down, thus causing the congestion to worsen,” he said.

Another habit that many road users find infuriating is the tendency for some drivers not to use their indicator light when changing lanes. Driving in Australia Dentist Dr Mariya Yahya, 33, who is based in Adelaide, South Australia, feels that road congestion is caused by bad driving habits.

“Drivers in Malaysia and many other Asian countries are often unaccommodating. Not only that, they also get angry fast which can lead to road rage.

“In Australia, there are many bullies, especially among the Asians residing there, but they are able to keep their temper in check when on the road,” Mariya, who has been living in Adelaide since she was 18, told me via Facebook. Mariya was my senior when we were studying at the University of Adelaide in Australia several years ago.

In general, traffic flow on Australian roads is smoother and the accident rate low, mainly due to their good road system and maintenance, and the presence of Automated Enforcement System (AES) cameras at various strategic locations, she told me.

Australian drivers, she added, were trained to drive mindfully and to be aware of their surroundings always.

There, apparently, if a driver is seen flouting traffic rules, other road users can lodge a report against him to the authorities.

“There, the authorities are very firm and uncompromising when it comes to punishing errant drivers,” said Mariya.

In Malaysia, on the other hand, errant drivers are offered a discount on their summons if they pay up fast.

Australia also practises a demerit point system whereby drivers can have their driving licences suspended if they had accumulated a certain number of points.

“Perhaps, this is one of the main factors why Australian drivers are a disciplined lot who make it a point to observe the speed limit, although there are fewer cars on their roads than in Malaysia,” she added. Make their own rules The mother- of-two, who is so used to the safe driving conditions on Australian roads, has had her share of interactions with selfish and “deranged” drivers when driving in Malaysia.

“I find it terrifying to drive during the festive season. I find the drivers acting like they are crazy.

“They make their own traffic rules, particularly when they have to drive on congested roads.

“They drive fast, cut into other people’s lanes whenever they like and don’t turn on the indicator light when overtaking or turning left or right at a junction,” she complained.

Some drivers’ habit of following the vehicle in front too closely, “eating” into the opposite lane or deliberating using the emergency lane could also cause accidents to take place.

Research has shown that driving at a safe distance behind vehicles and not tailing the car in front enable motorists to make up to 10 per cent savings on petrol consumption. — Bernama