LETTER | Road safety in Malaysia is a critical issue in Malaysia. Institutional and policy reforms are urgently required to stem the increase and reduce the unnecessary road fatality toll.

Let me trace the evolution of road safety institutions as one who has “grown up with’ and worked alongside these institutions.

The Road Safety Council was the first to be formed as an association registered under the Societies Act. It consisted of members and representatives from relevant government departments, relevant private associations of stakeholders and NGOs.

It held annual meetings to discuss road safety matters. The Ministry of Transport was the secretariat and the under-secretary for transport was responsible for organising the annual meetings.

The council, though set up with a good motive, was not effective in bringing about an impact in a reduction in road safety fatalities.

A cabinet committee on road safety was set up in 1990 in response to the Karak Highway crash which involved many police personnel.

Subsequently, the Department of Road Safety with a branch in each state was set up to carry out educational activities. The activities of the Road Safety Council were taken over by the department.

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety was then set up to carry out relevant policy-related research.

Though the Department of Road Safety is responsible for many media campaigns, educational activities and road safety education of children, there is little evidence and experience from other countries that these strategies alone are effective unless they are combined with appropriate enforcement.

Despite a substantial infrastructure and investment in road safety, our road fatalities are increasing. We are the only country in the world with all these agencies under one roof. Are we barking up the wrong tree?

As part of the UN Decade of Road Safety (2010 – 2020), the recommended five pillars for focus are Road Safety Management, Infrastructure (Safe Roads), Safe Vehicles, Road User Behaviour and Post-Crash Response.

In Malaysia, Safe Roads, Safe Vehicles and Post-Crash Response are the responsibility of relevant Works, Transport and Health Ministries.

While we seem to have “adequate” road safety management, the weakest links are intersectoral coordinating mechanisms and enforcement of laws.

In contrast, Japan has only a cabinet committee called the Central Traffic Safety Policy Council.

Details of road safety success stories by agencies worldwide are given in the WHO Global Reports on Road Safety. More agencies are “not better” and does not result in a reduction in road fatalities and injuries.

It is what these agencies do and how they interact which is more important. We need to seriously rethink the role of our road safety institutions and policies.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.