Miros D-G: Not safe to beat traffic lights in wee hours

PETALING JAYA: A recent horrific crash in Singapore involving a Ferrari and a taxi should remind Malaysians not to assume it is safe to beat the red light at traffic junctions in the wee hours of the morning.

Traffic lights and speed limits must always be respected, even during such hours, said Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) director-general Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon.

Commenting on the crash that killed three persons on May 12, he said some road users wrongly assume that it is okay to speed or jump traffic lights when the roads are empty in the early hours.

“There is a reason why the traffic lights are there. Road users should always respect it.

“From where they are, they are not able to observe the entire road for incoming cars, more so when it is dark,” said Dr Wong.

The horrific crash has been the talk of the town in Singapore and Malaysia after raw footages of the 4am incident, recorded off a dashboard camera, made it to videosharing site Youtube.

One of the first uploaded videos of the crash has recorded over two million hits and garnered more than 2,000 comments.

The Ferrari owner, a China national, died on the spot while the taxi driver and his Japanese passenger died after being rushed to hospital.