I am saddened by a statement from the director general of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), Dr Wong Shaw Voon, that the failure of the 24th Ops Sikap this Hari Raya festive season was due to poor cooperation from road users.

While I generally do not discount the fact that the road users are responsible for their own safety and others, it is not right for Wong to conveniently blame road users alone.

They are various factors that contribute to fatal road accidents. As a director general of a public funded road safety research institute, he should know better what causes the failure of the road safety campaign during the festive seasons.

The increasing number unsafe vehicles like small-engined motorcycles and cars, poorly maintained roads, and lack of enforcement by the traffic authorities are equally significant in contributing to road accidents.

If the government is so serious about preventing the loss of lives, Miros should learn from developed countries where their people have access to safer cars, and do research to prove that our cars are not as safe, and not otherwise.

Ironically, Miros crash test has rated a locally produced MPV with four stars for safety, which I believe to be way too generous. If a locally made car can be given four stars for safety, perhaps BMW or Mercedes should earn twenty stars.

Then, the government should abolish the illogical and implausible tax structures for cars to allow its citizen to own safer cars.

Would anyone believe that Proton and Perodua is as safe as Honda or Toyota?

The fact that most motorcyclists are the majority of victims shows that the machine is not safe.

Therefore, something need to be done urgently such as shifting them to public transport, which has to be made cheap and efficient, or allowing them to own safe cars by reducing prices to the world standard.

Malaysian roads are another potential killer. To tell the state of roads in Malaysia needs no sophisticated research.

The absence of lights, the disappearance of road markers, the presence of potholes and objects on the roads have often resulted in accidents among innocent roads users.

Besides, the design of the roads in our cramped public space leaves much to be desired. Can Miros and other relevant agencies sit down and work on this out?

Research alone won't solve the problem without any follow up action.

Last but not least, enforcement is vital to ensure the success of the road safety campaigns. It is hard to believe that despite the harsh penalties, Malaysian drivers still have no respect for the law.

I'm sure that this would not have happened if the enforcement comes with integrity. Google or YouTube ‘polis rasuah' and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Without proper enforcement, people will continue with their behaviour, and the campaign will have no effect but a waste of public money.

Let's admit that road users are not the only ones to be blamed.

Better road maintenance and better vehicles, and better coordination among players and stakeholders in the road fraternity are vital in ensuring transformation towards safer roads.

Conveniently blaming the road users for a campaign failure is certainly not the way forward, especially when the statement came from the director-general of road safety research institute.

The transformation for safer roads would only be possible with political will.

To change the behaviour of road users may be difficult and take a long time but to improve the infrastructures, provide safer vehicles and efficient public transport for rakyat are nothing impossible.

The government, too, must be responsible for the increasing number of road deaths.