Malaysian drivers need to be strongly disciplined

I WAS so disheartened when I read about the tragic accident that killed five family members travelling in a car that was hit by a trailer near the Menora Tunnel on the NorthSouth Expressway Northern Route near Jelapang, Perak on Saturday.

It was reported that the driver of the trailer has 28 traffic summonses to his name. How is it possible that someone with that many summonses was still driving? If not for this accident, he would be on the road now.

What enforcement do we have in place to discipline drivers of any type of vehicle flouting the traffic laws?

There is the Automated Enforcement System (AES) in certain areas and most drivers are aware of this, especially if they travel through these places often enough. The system is supposed to capture those who drive over the speed limit. But truth be told, drivers only slow down at AES locations and then go over the speed limit after that. Furthermore, it is not only speed that is an issue but also driving recklessly.

Cameras at traffic light junctions are supposed to deter drivers from beating the red light. But this has not stopped drivers of any type of vehicle from doing so, especially motorcyclists. So how about having more enforcement officers on the ground? They seem to be barely present these days.

Malaysian drivers must be disciplined if we want to see improvement in safety on our roads.