Deadly Driving

Deadly driving Are Malaysian drivers reckless by nature? If so, what will it take to tame the beast that drives them? BY JENNY NG TWO EARLY MORNING ACCIDENTS -- one in Penang on Sept 17, which killed seven people, including three policemen, and the other on Sept 26, which killed three people, including a newlywed who'd taken his marriage vows 10 hours earlier and a university graduate who'd attended his convocation the day before -- were just the latest in a string of deadly road accidents this year which caused multiple deaths. Speaking on the accident on Sept 22, federal traffic police chief Datuk Gingkoi Seman Pancras said from the information gathered from the sole survivor as well as witnesses, the cause of the crash pointed to reckless driving. Indeed, going by the statistics alone, it would seem that Malaysian drivers are a reckless lot. In the last 10 years, more than 5,000 lives have been lost every year on Malaysian roads. That works out to almost 14 people getting killed every day on our roads. The World Health Organisation says road fatality rates (measured as rates per 10,000 population) grew by 44% between 1975 and 1998 in this country. Although the annual number of deaths has levelled off since peaking at 6,304 in 1996, the figure is still alarming. Last year, 6,223 died (an average of 17 deaths daily) and in 2003, there were 6,286 fatalities, making traffic deaths the fifth leading cause of deaths in Malaysia. Traffic injury ranks as the third most common reason for admission to hospitals. In terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) -- which accounts for lost years of healthy life due to premature death or disability -- road-traffic injury ranks third after mental health and cardiovascular diseases, information from the Ministry of Health shows. Traffic injuries and deaths are not only traumatic and disruptive for the survivors and their loved ones -- the economic cost is high too. Most traffic deaths occur in the productive group of those aged between 16 and 35, with the economic value for each life lost estimated at RM1.2 million. Last year, the total loss in monetary terms, taking into account the economic value of lives lost and cost of treating injuries, was RM9 billion. General insurance payouts for medical and personal accident insurance and motor insurance are also on the rise. Last year, the total paid out for both types of insurance was RM2.8 million, compared with RM2 million in 2001. The good news is, the fatality index -- the number of deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles -- has been declining from 8.2 in 1996 to 4.5 last year. But that is small consolation for those who have lost loved ones in traffic accidents. According to police records, careless driving was the leading cause of road deaths, says Professor Dr Kulanthayan K.C. Mani, researcher at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)'s Road Safety Research Centre. The second leading cause of road deaths is speeding. Suret Singh, director-general of the Road Safety Department, agrees that the attitude of Malaysian drivers is worrying. The department within the Ministry of Transport was set up in September last year. In 2003, at a road safety seminar, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called for the formation of a road safety department and revival of the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety, in view of the high accident rate in Malaysia. Suret attributes the high death rate to a number of reasons, primarily the carelessness of drivers themselves. Bad behaviour, over time, becomes bad habits and lax enforcement enhances that behaviour. "Habit is formed by doing it repeatedly. The first time, you're cautious. After some time, the person doesn't realise he's beating the red light. Some things have become bad habits," says Suret. Dr Goh Chee Leong, director of the Centre for Psychology at HELP Institute, says bad behaviour on the road has become part of Malaysia's driving culture, which encourages new drivers to conform. The idea is, if everyone is doing it, why shouldn't I? "All the things they learn in driving schools may be forgotten quickly because there are so many bad models. It didn't just happen overnight. Over a long period of time, attitudes developed and standards dropped," he explains. Believe it or not, some drivers see the road as a place to release stress and anger. Goh says these drivers have not found healthy ways to express their frustration and see driving as an outlet. The rising volume of traffic and pressures of urban life compound the stress of driving. Each year, 800,000 new vehicles hit the road. Last year, there were 13.7 million motor vehicles on the road. "People are rushing, always in a hurry and impatient. The problem is everyone is practising a `me-first' mentality," says Suret. Goh says many Malaysians don't plan their time well and are willing to take risks when they drive to make up for lost time as they rush for appointments. These are the human factors. The existing infrastructure and environment are contributory factors. For example, developed countries have lower fatality index because of their efficient and integrated public transport systems, which account for more than 80% of passenger trips in urban areas. A rail-based public transport system is far safer than being on the road, says UPM's Kulanthayan. "When you are on a rail line, you're in a safe zone where you don't share the road with other users. If we want to improve our accident rates, get people to use the public system. We have to move some trips to the public transport system," he says. A sound rail system should connect the commuter from his home all the way to his final destination via rail lines and feeder services, Kulanthayan says. High-risk state roads As for the safety of Malaysian roads, statistics show that state and municipal roads are the riskiest for motorists. One of the reasons for the high fatality rate on these roads compared to highways and federal roads is due to the absence of a median or physical divider between two-way traffic which contributes to averting head-on collisions. Without medians, the risk of fatal collisions is even higher when drivers and motorists speed. "Secondly, a lot of homes are near these roads where there's movement of people. Also motorists think nothing would happen since they are familiar with these roads. Another reason for the high fatality is the public's perception that there's less traffic enforcement on these roads. That's the reason they violate traffic laws," adds Kulanthayan. If that's the case, would better enforcement on state roads help to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities? If the answer is yes, the next question is, with the resources of the police stretched as they are, is that likely to happen? "How many enforcement personnel will you need to cover the whole country? And how long can they be on the road in the rain and hot sun? Under these limitations, let's move to equipment-based surveillance," suggests Kulanthayan. Surveys show that drivers believe there is a 17% to 25% chance of getting caught for violating traffic laws under normal circumstances. With the integrated enforcement programmes conducted by the police and the Road Transport Department (RTD) during major festive seasons like the various Ops Sikap, drivers surveyed believe the possibility of getting caught goes up to 55%. With cameras, the risk of getting caught is even higher. In developed countries, drivers perceive that the risk of getting caught for committing a traffic offence is more than 90% when cameras are in place. The Road Safety Department's Suret says in the short term, police and RTD officers will still be doing most of the work; in the long term, however, there will be greater reliance on technology. What other ways are there besides better enforcement and the use of technology? Suspension and seizure of driving licences may be an effective deterrent. The Road Safety Demerit Point system was first introduced in 1984 but it has had a difficult 21 years -- suspended and reactivated a few times as coordination problems were sorted out. Suret attributes the demerit system's ineffectiveness to the slow machinery of law and enforcement in bringing errant drivers to book. But things may change soon. On Sept 21, Transport Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy revealed seven offences for which an errant driver's driving licence may be seized immediately and retained for two weeks. The Road Transport Act 1987 will be amended to accommodate these changes and should take effect early next year. Kulanthayan believes these steps will yield results and save lives. Changing the laws is just the first phase in helping drivers change their behaviour -- the second phase is enforcement activities. Both have to work in tandem for effective results, he says. As for concerns that seizure of driving licences will lead to higher incidence of corruption, Suret says that is an issue which should be tackled on its own. "For us to be effective, the laws have to be very effective, they must not be ambiguous, they must be clear. If there're loopholes or weaknesses, they must be plugged. We're mindful of comments from human rights groups and we're working with JPJ [Road Transport Department] and the police, looking at ways to reduce corruption," he explains. He adds that they are taking various steps to improve the delivery system, including the use of fixed and mobile cameras. Road map to improvement Aside from stepping up enforcement, the government has been taking other steps to curb road accidents since 1996, when the number of deaths spiked. It has embarked on researchbased intervention programmes and focused road safety campaigns. The government has also stepped up identification and rectification of hazardous locations, also known as black spots, on highway and federal roads. Under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, Suret says 153 black spots were repaired. Such activities will be extended to state and local roads under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The declining fatality index bears testimony to the success of these efforts. Suret says based on a study by UPM's Road Safety Research Centre, if the trend had continued from 1996, the number of deaths could have reached 9,127 in 2000. The Road Safety Department's functions include lowering traffic accidents, road injuries and the fatality index; conducting research on road safety; and coordinating enforcement programmes between the police, RTD and local authorities. Suret says the department is going to roll out more comprehensive intervention programmes. It has come up with a road safety road map for the next five years, aimed at improving the fatality index from the current 4.5 deaths per 10,000 vehicles to two in 2010 and one in 2020. The road map has identified 15 sectors for improvement, including traffic education for children, raising vehicle safety standards, improvement of hazardous locations, safety planning and design, funding, effective enforcement, collaboration with other parties like public, private sector and international road safety bodies, emergency assistance, research, driver training and testing and publicity campaigns. A Road Safety Act has also been drafted. Suret expects the Act to be gazetted by the middle or third quarter of next year. The objective of the act, in a nutshell, is to involve all levels of society in road-safety programmes, including educationists, nongovernment organisations, local authorities, employers, professional bodies, parent-teacher associations and schools. For example, it will become the duty of employers to ensure safety of employees travelling to their place of work, Suret says. And it looks like Malaysians may have to rely on the next generation to make roads a safer place. Since it is harder to change adults' behaviour, road safety will be incorporated into schools' curriculum. "It's difficult and challenging to change adults' behaviour. It's easier to change them when they're young," says Kulanthayan. He reveals that the Road Safety Research Centre is conducting research for a road-safety education programme -- now in the pilot stage in Pasir Mas, Kelantan -- for Primary One, Two and Three students, conducted by the Ministries of Transport and Education. In driving schools, the syllabus for learner drivers already includes defensive driving which is based on the principle of courteous and safe driving regardless of the surrounding conditions and behaviour of other drivers. Suret says the syllabus is updated from time to time but the quality of instruction and seriousness of students are factors that come into play as well. His department is also working on incentives to be included in auto insurance packages for drivers who further their basic driving skills to include first aid (other road users are the first on the scene when an accident occurs) and other advanced driving programmes. While much is being done to make Malaysian drivers better and safer drivers, Suret says ultimately, road users themselves bear responsibility for their own actions. "There is no excuse for me not to use [a] safety belt, [or] to beat red lights. You can't say the Road Safety Department is not doing its job. I feel Malaysians are mature enough to regulate themselves. If we avoid even the small acts of carelessness, there'll be less chaos on Malaysian roads and they will be a safer place for all," he says. Avoiding accidents BY JENNY NG MOST ROAD ACCIDENTS are unnecessary and avoidable. Yet the trend shows that Malaysians never learn. Road accidents have more than doubled in the last 11 years, from 148,801 in 1994 to 326,817 last year. Throughout these 11 years, 65,295 people have lost their lives, which works out to close to 17 deaths every day. The problem is not limited to Malaysia alone. Road accidents have become a major public health problem in Asia and the Pacific, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It says if the current trends continue, road accidents will be the third global cause of disease or injury by 2020, after heart disease and depression. The numbers of those killed and disabled in road accidents will increase by 60%. As WHO obser ves, "accidents" are rarely random, uncontrollable events. Much can be done to prevent accidents, in particular, drivers and motorists themselves should be more careful and considerate on the roads. A lady driver in her mid-30s, who only wants to be known as Fong, says not all Malaysian drivers are reckless but they are an inconsiderate lot. Top on her list of driving etiquette faux pas are cutting in from the left or from the emergency lane, driving against traffic on one-way streets, road hogging and indiscriminate parking. "They will just park on the side of the road, worse still when they park on the yellow line," she says. In her book, some motorcyclists and jaywalkers are just as badly behaved. "There are inconsiderate motorcyclists and jaywalkers who think they own the road. Jaywalkers stand in the middle of the road which can be very dangerous. If there's an accident, they should be held responsible," she adds. How does Fong rate herself as a driver? "Overall, for a woman, I think I'm an excellent driver," she quips. A lawyer who prefers to be known only as James agrees that Malaysian drivers are not necessarily reckless but says they are not very civic-minded. For him, the worst thing about driving in Malaysia is sharing the road with drivers who "drive as if they own the road". "Or perhaps they drive as if they are the ultimate driver driving the ultimate car and are quite oblivious to drivers around them," he says. Other behaviour that annoys James are drivers and motorcyclists who refuse to use their indicator lights, cars straddling lanes, road hogging and overtaking from the left. As for himself, James says he tries to be as considerate as possible on the road. Drivers often complain about motorcyclists. Well, motorcyclists complain about drivers too. Mary Anne Tan, an editorial consultant, was once knocked off her motorcycle by a car making a sudden left turn. "I don't think he even knew he knocked me off, he kept driving. For a car, it was probably just a brush, but it was enough to make me fall off my bike," she says. Tan, who lives in Subang, also drives but to save time, she relies on her motorcycle when she goes to Kuala Lumpur or when she foresees traffic conditions being bad. The risk of getting killed or involved in an accident is particularly high for motorcyclists. Last year, 56% of traffic deaths were attributable to motorcyclists and pillion riders, compared with 19.5% for car users. Dr Kulanthayan K.C. Mani, researcher at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre, says total traffic fatalities could be lowered by a quarter if the number of motorcyclist deaths could be reduced by half. The risk of accidents is higher for motorcyclists because they are not always clearly visible to drivers of other bigger vehicles. "The size of motorcyclists is small, so the chances of seeing them is slim. They have to improve their visibility by turning on the headlight in the daytime, front and back lights at night. They must also wear bright clothing or safety vest," he says. To prove that enhanced visibility prevents accidents, the centre will be evaluating a study conducted by the Road Safety Department. Under the study, a total of 150,000 reflective stickers are currently being distributed, to be placed on the rear number plates of motorcycles in Klang. Motorcyclists are also to blame for the high fatality rate as most do not wear their helmets properly. "Head injuries make up 56% of deaths among motorcyclists. Another 30% is caused by multiple injuries, including head injuries," says Kulanthayan. He says although laws on safety helmets were introduced in 1973, last year, it was observed that only 76% of motorcyclists wear helmets and out of this number, only 54% are wearing them properly. In urban areas, 90% of motorcyclists wear helmets; in rural areas, only 30% wear helmets. Tan is aware of the dangers of riding a motorcycle and practises defensive driving, which simply translates to safe driving no matter what the conditions around you may be, or how other drivers and pedestrians behave. "It means being on alert all the time. You assume the motorcyclist in front of you may stop suddenly, so you have to be on alert and keep the distance," she says.