Road Transport Act 1987 / Act 333 Overview and Summary

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Road accident is a global issue and menace. The number of road accidents is rapidly increasing throughout the world especially in the developing countries. Among the ASEAN countries, Malaysia has the highest road severe accident rate with 100,000 per population. Based on the statistic stated that, in year 2016 the number of severe road accident was increasing compare to previous year and more than 7,000 people lives is lost from the fatal road accidents. (Babulal, 2017) Therefore, the factors that lead to the road accident should be cover, in order to minimize the rate of severe accident happen. The factor of severe road accident are included the combination of traffic composition, poor road facilities and condition, human factor and weather condition.

2.1.1 Combination of Traffic Composition

The first factor contribute to the accident is the combination of traffic composition. The road transport vehicle can categories as small, medium and heavy vehicle. According to the statistic of road accident by the type of vehicle in 2006 to 2015 shown that the rate of road accident of the motorcar is 625,758 cases (72.40%) of the total road accident (864,350 cases) in Malaysia. It clearly to see that motorcar contribute in road accident higher than the other type of transport (refer to Table 2).

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Table 2: Total Motor Vehicles Involved in Road Accidents by Type of Vehicle, Malaysia, 2006-2015

Source: Transport Statistics Malaysia 2015, Ministry of Transport Malaysia

Malaysia is a developing country, majority citizen is depend on the two wheel vehicles as their transport vehicle (Worley, 2006) like the motorcycle. The rider of motorcycle are at the high risk to getting the crash or accident on road. This is because they can easily fall down and makes their safety threat on the road. According to the report of deaths by road user category from Royal Malaysian Police shown that the riders motorized (2 or 3 wheelers) was the highest death rate which is 62% out of all the road user (refer to the Chart 1). However, based on the Table 2 shown that the motorcar involved in road accident more than motorcycle about 58.12% (502,350 cases) of the total motor vehicles involved in road accidents. According to the study from University Putra Malaysia, motorcyclist injury risk is higher than car passengers about 20 times. (Kareem, Review of Global Menace of Road Accidents with Special Reference to Malaysia- A Social Perspective, 2003) Thus, although the motorcar is constitute more in road accident but the higher death rate of road accident is motorcycle rider.

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Chart 1: Deaths by Road User Category

Source: Royal Malaysian Police, 2013

Furthermore, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrians are the categories as small size road transport, it may be increase the risk to the collision because the visibility issue. Due to the combination of traffic composition on road, the other bigger size of vehicle are unable to see the small size of vehicle and cause accident happen. For example, the case of the car rams into cycling teens in Johor Bahru which due to the visibility issue the car was collided to the cycling group youth. Therefore, government should be improve the visibility issue and cover the combination of traffic composition on road in order to eliminate the risk of getting accident on road.

2.1.2 Poor Road Facilities and Conditions

The second factor that lead to the road accident happen is the poor road facilities and condition. The poor road facilities and condition such as improper intersection of road design can cause the increasing of accident. The poor road condition and facilities including lack of appropriate road markings, blind curves and poorly banked roads, overly bright lights or lack of nighttime lighting, improperly graded curves and uneven shoulders and etc. (Calisi). For example, a road with broken surface condition may increasing the risk to have an accident especially in the rainy day and night. The maintenance of road should be done by the authorities once receive the report. The proper road design also important for the road safety. According to the study from University Putra Malaysia, the road section which have more than 15 junction per kilometer is higher about 1.67 times to have an accident than a road section that less than 15 junction per kilometer (Kareem, Review of Global Menace of Road Accidents with Special Reference to Malaysia- A Social Perspective, 2003). Moreover, the insufficient of street light able to lead to an accident happen. Usually, an accident happen in night times and especially with the condition which improper or insufficient street light will cause low visibility. In the other word, the low visibility may lead to the higher cases of accident happen.

2.1.3 Human Factor

Many effort has been done by the government to control the road accident but this issue keep increasing. The major reason that lead the road accident occur is human factor. Since 2012, government had recognized and implemented a new system to control the speed on the road, which is Automated Enforcement System(AES). This system using cameras and the Kerajaan Demerit Points System to control the driver’s speed and punish the offenders by giving them the traffic ticket that cost RM 150 once they over speed limit. AES system is one of the effort from the authority agency to control the habitual traffic offenders that cause the road accidents occur. Nowadays, they are many drivers has habitual drive fast without following the speed limit that appoint by the National Speed Limits. The behaviour of the driver that causes the road accidents happen such as using hand phone, eating, improper stopping, speeding during driving need to be pay attention by Road Transport Department (JPJ) in order to reduce cases of traffic accident. The high speed of the driver in road should be enforce control especially in highway and. Besides that, peak season like during Chinese New Year the number of car is increase and the accidents that happen may increase too because there is some irresponsible driver that don’t follow the rules and regulation. Thus, the government have to take appropriate action to prevent the occur of road accident and enhance the safety level for road users. While, during 2017 Chinese New Year campaign, Malaysia Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said, the Speed Limit Autonomous Enforcement System (AES) had been updated by Road Transport Department to control the driver behaviour