Lam Thye: Majority of drivers use mobile phones while driving

PUTRAJAYA: A study carried out by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research ( Miros) found that a majority of Malaysian drivers acknowledged that the use of mobile phones while driving was a contributing factor to road accidents.

Its chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the majority of Malaysians also agreed that the use of mobile phones while driving could influence driving behaviour and posed dangers to themselves and other road users but they were still doing it.

In last year’s study carried out on 300 random responders in the Klang Val ley, Miros found that 43.4 per cent of road users were using mobile phones while driving cars and riding motorcycles while 61.7 per cent of drivers had received or made phone calls while driving at least one to three times a week.

“The study also found 53.6 per cent of drivers were using mobile phones when they were caught in traffic congestion; 53 per cent of drivers were sending text messages while driving at least one to three times a week and 61.7 per cent of drivers did receive or make phone calls while driving at least one to three times a week,” he said after officiating the 2017 Road Safety Run, jointly organised by Miros and Uber in conjunction with Miros’ 10th anniversary here yesterday.

He also felt that despite their awareness on the dangers, respondents were still reluctant to change their attitudes, lacked discipline and were stubborn, thereby increasing the risk of dangers to road users.

“I think the enforcement by the Road Transport Department and the Royal Malaysia Police should be intensifi ed to ensure drivers adhere to the laws,” he said. — Bernama