Getting public to take photos, videos to reduce road crashes impractical, say experts

 

The practice of using dashboard cameras to record videos of traffic offenders while behind the wheel, and then posting them on social media has become increasingly common.

PETALING JAYA: Asking the public to take photos or videos of traffic offenders and reporting them to the road transport department (JPJ) and the traffic police is not practical and unlikely to bring down road crashes, experts said today.

Law Teik Hua of Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Road Safety Research Centre said such measures were “legally weak” and potentially unreliable for the authorities, in that the photos and videos might offer incomplete or unclear evidence.

“It may be difficult to verify the date of the incident, and considerable time and manpower may be required to verify all the pieces of evidence sent in by the public,” he said.

Of late, the practice of using dashboard cameras, or dashcams, to record videos of traffic offenders while behind the wheel and then posting them on social media has become increasingly common.

Law Teik Hua.

Selangor traffic police chief Azman Shariat recently went a step further and reportedly invited the public to send dashcam videos of traffic offenders to the department’s Facebook page for them to take action.

Law pointed out that recording videos and photographs while on the road could jeopardise the complainant’s safety.

“It may result in an accident or in conflict with the traffic offender,” he told FMT.

Road users should not be tasked to work as “traffic wardens” to make our roads safer, he said.

“Enforcement activities should only be carried out by enforcement agencies, in the spirit of regulations and the law.”

He also believed that few road users would complain about others. “The number of complaints will be low, as the complainant needs to disclose their own details to the JPJ.”

Rosli Azad Khan.

Transport planning consultant Rosli Azad Khan shared a similar sentiment and said relying on public photos and video evidence would not work if complainants had to reveal themselves.

“So long as the authorities can guarantee that the complainants’ identities are protected under the law and that offenders won’t take legal action against them, it may work.

“If the police or JPJ have to call complainants as witnesses, then it may not work. I think in Malaysia, few complainants would be willing to come forward and expose themselves.

“They may be willing to report but may be reluctant to testify, unless it’s a serious offence where lives are involved,” he told FMT.

Rosli said the core issue was the lack of education on road safety.

“I think we made a mess of the driving lessons and the driver licensing systems right from the start. In some cases, the licensing system is far too relaxed and lacks an emphasis on road safety.

“Our driving schools should be more accountable and professional when disseminating knowledge to younger drivers on road safety, and the need to drive safely to protect the lives of other road users,” he said.

Meanwhile, Law said there should be closer cooperation between JPJ and the traffic police.

“Their databases should be linked so that drivers can be monitored and the JPJ can suspend the driving licence of traffic violators.” - FMT