Op Selamat: 10.22 pct dip in road accidents during CNY last year
The statistics for road accidents recorded here throughout the ‘Op Selamat’ campaign during Chinese New Year last year showed a decline of six accidents or 10.22 per cent compared to the previous year.
Miri police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said the district recorded a total of 51 road accidents last year and 57 road accidents in 2022.
“Out of all the road accidents that were recorded in 2023, one was fatal, two were light accidents, and the remaining accidents caused damage to the vehicles,” he said at the ‘Op Selamat’ road safety campaign in conjunction with this year’s CNY celebration at Jalan Morsjaya yesterday.
Given the downward trend, Alexson called on road users to continue observing traffic rules, especially during the six-day campaign.
According to police investigations into the causes of accidents during last year’s CNY ‘Op Selamat’ campaign, 85 per cent of the accidents were caused by driver negligence.
“Ten per cent of road accidents were contributed by the increase number of vehicles on the road during festive seasons, while the remaining five per cent were due to weather and road condition” he said.
In this year’s campaign, Alexson said the police will focus on three main roads: Jalan Bakam (coastal road), Jalan Miri-Bypass, and the Pan Borneo Highway here.
On another note, he advised those going on a holiday this coming weekend to inform the nearest police station of their plan to leave.
“Anyone leaving their houses over the festive season may fill out their information using the ‘Volunteer Smart Phone’ app so that our personnel can patrol their residential areas.”