Only 11% of passengers buckle up at the back, says Miros

 

All government officers must use their rear seat safety belts under Safety Belt Use Campaign circular by the chief secretary to the government last November. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: “They don’t think they need it’”. That is what most road users think when it comes to rear seat safety belts.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Surjet Singh said although the regulation has been in force for more than a decade since 2009, many road users do not even know the importance of using the rear seat safety belt.

He said based on observations, the rate of wearing rear seat safety belts among Malaysian road users was still very low, at a mere 11%.

“According to studies, if the driver and passengers in a vehicle are involved in a road accident, the risk of death can be reduced by 50% with airbags and this increases to 80% if used together with safety belts,” he told Bernama recently.

Therefore, he said based on the rate of compliance, a strategic plan to instill rear seat safety belt use was developed as a springboard to educate and increase awareness about the importance of using seat belts in stages.

“The plan had been approved by Miros’ board of directors and was supposed to be implemented last year until 2022 but was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Miros will work with the transport ministry and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to ensure the plan is improved,” he said.

Surjet added that Miros was optimistic about reaching a 95% compliance rate by 2022, and inculcating rear seat belt use as part of Malaysian road users’ habits.

The law regarding rear seat safety belt use came into force on Jan 1, 2009 under the Motor Vehicles Rules (Seatbelt) (2008 Amendment) and those found guilty can be fined no more than RM2,000 or jailed no more than a year, or both.

He said Miros will use various approaches from school level to public and private agencies in an effort to create awareness among Malaysians.

“In the plan, we will turn the highest government officials into role models because it is the aspiration of the chief secretary to the government himself,” he said.

On Nov 1, 2020, chief secretary to the government Mohd Zuki Ali signed a Safety Belt Use Campaign circular that made it mandatory for government officers to use the rear seat safety belts when in government-owned vehicles. - FMT