CONTROL OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN MALAYSIA

This paper discusses some of the recent trends of road traffic accidents in peninsula Malaysia. The road traffic accident data were compared to the accident figures from several developed countries. The graphs show a relatively high accident rate for peninsula Malaysia. Some estimated values for road traffic accidents in Malaysia are also presented. Several factors contributing to road accidents are discussed. Spot speed studies in the urban areas show that most drivers ignore the advisory speed limits. This behaviour is partly attributable to improved vehicle performance and better road conditions. Some existing speed limits, which were set long ago, do not seem to take these recent developments into consideration. The measures taken to check on the problem of over-speeding in Malaysia are mentioned and suggestions proposed to address this problem. It is suggested that the prevention of road traffic accidents due to over-speeding should be tackled by improving the level of training through traffic training centres and use of vehicle simulators.(a)