Train workers in defensive driving skills

ALL employers should respond to the call made by the Human Resources Ministry to include a safe travel clause in workers’ safety policy at the workplace.

At the same time, it is crucial for employers to organise more awareness campaigns and road safety programmes which include defensive driving and safe riding techniques with the help of instructors and experts ( pic).

Focus should be given to motorcyclists and pillion riders since a joint study by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and Universiti Teknologi Mara has shown that they make up 76.9% of the total commuting accidents.

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said that the government viewed the matter seriously as the financial and social impact of road accidents is very serious.

It was reported that in 2017, the estimated total expenditure for deaths, disabilities and injuries due to road accidents stood at between RM600mil and RM800mil.

Socso has also revealed that there were a total of 33,319 road accidents with 667 fatalities last year. The two deaths per day were due to road accidents.

It is crucial for employers to be more proactive and fully committed to help prevent commuting accidents. They should invest in the road safety of their employees who are an important asset in their organisation.

Employers should invite road safety experts to share their knowledge and demonstrate defensive driving and riding techniques that could help workers to avoid accidents.

They could also educate workers on the relevant laws and how to maintain their vehicles to keep them in road-worthy condition. Poor maintenance could lead to engine and mechanical problems that could cause accidents.

This is important since 52% of accidents occurred when workers were travelling to their workplace, and more than 55% of the accidents occurred when the workers were within 5km of their destination.

Behavioural changes are also important since poor attitude among motorcyclists and motorists are the major cause of accidents in Malaysia, according to studies conducted by Socso and Monash University.

Among the bad behaviours were driving above the speed limit, using mobile phones, not wearing the helmet in the correct way and driving in a reckless manner.

Interim statistics by Socso show that there was a 10% increase in the number of commuting accidents involving people travelling to and from the workplace in 2016 compared with 2015, with 31,314 cases of commuting accidents reported in 2016 compared with 28,579 cases in 2015.

In 2012, the number of commuting accidents was 26,256 while 27,659 cases were reported in 2013 and 28,037 in 2014.

It shows that the number of commuting accidents has increased 19% in the five years between 2012 and 2016.

To help reduce commuting accidents, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also conducts courses on safe motorcycle riding and defensive driving for workers every year.

In the past five years, about 5,000 workers have participated in the training programmes under a collaboration between NIOSH and Socso.