Mulling over ways to reduce road deaths

I REFER to the reports “18 Killed every day in traffic accidents” ( Sunday Star, Jan 24) and “Fewer errant motorists with AES” ( Sunday Star, Jan 31).

Reports like these appear so regularly that concerned citizens must be wondering if and when the number of deaths from road accidents will ever come down.

Implementing the Automatic Enforcement System (AES) is one positive move towards reducing human fatalities in road accidents. It is hoped that prominent sign posts are placed well before the camera spots to warn drivers of the existence of speed cameras. When there is awareness of such a camera looming ahead, drivers tend to slow down, thus a less likelihood of accidents and deaths. The effectiveness will eventually get us to the desired results.

In Britain, the speed of a moving car is averaged between two spots by cameras placed at certain stretches where a lower speed limit has been set. The average speed is picked up and measured against the speed limit. This has been effective in checking drivers who tend to speed immediately after a speed camera. Perhaps, our authorities may like to consider trying out this method.

But the AES on highways alone is not sufficient. We need to consider a separate AES to be installed at traffic lights to check the present high frequency of beating red lights. Currently many motorists consider it is alright to beat traffic lights and offenders get away scot-free. The present fine of RM300 should be increased to be an effective deterrent to motorists, motorcyclists included. The rampant disregard of traffic lights by motorcyclists must be stopped.

I like to share the following suggestions from my observation here and overseas for consideration by authorities towards better road safety.

1) Build overtaking lanes at intervals of 10km or less on all federal roads. Most federal roads are presently two-lane highways. At certain stretches, overtaking is permitted on these roads but it is not easy.

With slower vehicles, a long queue of cars can build up, leading to impatient drivers beating the queue. I saw this feature in Australian country roads and drivers used this facility to overtake.

2) Deploy more enforcement personnel to book motorists who use the emergency lane. Many motorists think it is okay to use emergency lanes to avoid traffic jams. For example, on the Federal Highway, it is a daily occurrence when its emergency lane becomes the fourth lane when traffic is congested. The Federal Highway is an arterial feeding traffic to and from not less than 10 hospitals in its entire length. It is a daily scene where ambulances are unable to use the emergency lane. I was once caught in a massive traffic jam caused by car accident in a motorway in Britain. I could see ambulances, police cars and tow cars streaming past my car unhindered on the emergency lane to get to the scene of accident miles ahead. Lives can be saved when the injured and sick can be treated on time.

3) Book motorcyclists using the main carriageway where a dedicated motorcycle lane is already provided. Every day, many motorcyclists are seen riding on the Federal Highway and at high speed too.

4) Make it an offence to block the way of a moving bus or bus stops. This will ensure public transport enjoys a smooth and unfettered passage, leading to timely arrivals and, in turn, resulting in higher usage of buses. I remember reading a report that in Singapore, a driver found guilty of obstructing a bus would be fined S$120.

5) Require players in the car industry to offer more vehicles with manual transmission. I think Malaysia is probably the only Commonwealth country where almost 100% of the vehicles have automatic transmission and there’s little choice for a manual version. In Britain and Singapore, both versions are widely available. In these countries, there is a significant number of manual car users and the number of road accidents there is far lower than Malaysia’s.

There are many advantages to using a manual car. It has lower capital outlay, and has better fuel efficiency and lower maintenance cost. The only advantage of using an automatic transmission vehicle is its handiness in traffic jams and parking.

As for the high number of road accidents, may I suggest to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research that their researchers gather statistics of road accidents to see if there is a correlation between the number of accidents and the usage of automatic cars.

6. Install rumble strips (continuous) on major highways. The effect of driving over these strips will wake up drowsy drivers when they drift from their lane. Some stretches of expressways in Singapore have these strips.