Tougher action against drink driving long overdue

DON’T drink and drive.

A drunk driver, according to a 2012 study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), is 13 times more likely to cause an accident compared to a sober person.

The Miros study also found that 23.3% of drivers in fatal accidents tested positive for alcohol.

Transport Ministry statistics showed that between 2012 and 2018, there were 1,114 deaths from drink-driving accidents in Malaysia. It was reported last year that drink-driving related accidents were a leading cause of deaths among youth.

This month saw a spate of drink-driving accidents which killed motorists and even a police officer.

At 6am on May 29, a 22-year-old man driving while under the influence of alcohol was involved in a collision on the Federal Highway, leading to the death of a 42-yearold motorcycle pillion rider, while the front rider sustained serious injuries.

At 9.20pm on May 27, a 42-yearold fish wholesaler drove against the traffic flow while drunk. His vehicle collided with another car, instantly killing a 41-year-old man in Jalan Pintasan Kuantan.

At 2.10am on May 3, a 44-year-old businessman who was intoxicated behind the wheel caused the death of a 31-year-old policeman who was manning a roadblock at Lekas Highway in Selangor.

The government is taking the drink-driving menace seriously.

The Transport Minister is finalising the proposed amendments for more severe penalties to the Road Transport Act 1987 which will be tabled in the Cabinet next month.

The government is considering imposing a mandatory jail sentence on drivers arrested for drink-driving which, under the current provision, is at the discretion of the court. It also proposed higher fines and longer prison terms so that the offenders could be prosecuted at the Sessions Court.

The government is also discussing with the Attorney General’s

Chambers for deaths in road crashes caused by drunk drivers to be investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder or Section 307 of the same law for attempted murder.

Kudos to the government for taking swift action to finally enforce tougher laws on drunk drivers. It’s long overdue.

But as Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong pointed out, reducing drink-driving related accidents is not just about enforcement. It is also about a holistic approach to tackle it.

It is not just about enforcement with better techniques and procedures, but also about the whole ecosystem – penalties, awareness and alternatives to driving oneself when drunk must work in tandem, he had said.

Education, according to Dr Wee, must be the basis of lasting policy change to curb drink-driving.

As he stressed, education must be the cornerstone of lasting policy change to reduce tragedies caused by those who cause death while driving under the influence.

Those drinking should plan to get someone to drive them home or to take e-hailing.

The sobering fact is that those driving under the influence of alcohol is 13 times more likely to cause an accident compared to a sober person. The action is simple – don’t drink and drive.