LETTERING | The transport minister's recent move to mandate speed limiters for heavy vehicles, triggered by the heartbreaking surge in serious road accidents, is a genuinely commendable and quick response.
This decisive action truly shows a deep commitment to making our roads safer, and for that, the ministry deserves real credit. We believe this vital effort is backed by thorough thinking and solid research, no doubt benefiting from the invaluable support of experts at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.
My purpose here isn't to second-guess the good work our authorities are doing. Instead, it's about ensuring the public's call for transparency and engagement is truly heard. This sentiment is widely shared among many Malaysians.
This initiative must not be seen as just a knee-jerk reaction or "another show" that quickly fades away. It's a great opportunity to re-prove and regain public confidence – an opportunity we simply cannot miss.
Even if these points are discussed behind closed doors, bringing them into the open with regular updates is crucial. This builds deep public trust and ensures this important safety effort is taken seriously. It requires dedicated resources, strict oversight, and clear public verification.
To help guide Malaysia's journey toward safer roads, here are seven critical questions for our authorities to really think about and keep reviewing:
1. Beyond tamper-proofing
Just putting speed limiters in isn't enough if clever folks can easily get around them after the initial checks. What specific, less-obvious anti-tampering tech will we use? More importantly, how will we put in place real-time, trustworthy data systems that can spot even tiny signs of tampering? How will surprise, forensic-level checks of vehicle data logs back this up, and what laws will quickly punish anyone trying to fake the system?
2. The ‘simple’ solution's hidden cost
Some suggest many modern vehicles already have speed limiting built in, making it a "simple fix" with little cost. Is this true for all heavy vehicles in Malaysia, especially older or modified ones?
If not, what's the realistic average cost not just of initial installation, but crucially, of the follow-up maintenance, regular calibration, and the inevitable downtime of productive work? For our small and medium enterprises (SMEs), these cumulative costs can be huge.
What specific financial help, tax breaks, or flexible payment plans will ease this burden, showing we care about the human side of this safety rule without letting up on enforcement?
3. More than just certified
Mandating limiters means we need a massive network of skilled, trustworthy professionals.
Beyond standard certification, what tough, multi-level training programs will deal with the tricky technical details of different systems? How will the ministry set up uncompromising oversight, including anonymous audits and immediate penalties for bad work or fraud, to stop a "black market" for shoddy installations?
4. Fair and square enforcement
Any policy's success depends on uniform, clear, and honest enforcement. What proactive strategies will identify and dismantle any groups helping people avoid compliance or offering bribes?
How will the Road Transport Department director-general and other agency heads be given clear, legal power to directly intervene and punish cases of inconsistent or corrupt enforcement, rather than just relying on post-facto investigations?
5. Managing the unintended
Every major change brings unexpected challenges. With speed limiters, drivers can't operate vehicles as before. What specific training, briefings, or educational campaigns will be rolled out before implementation to prepare them?
How will we proactively address the potential for new accident types (e.g., increased tailgating, difficulty with sudden acceleration for evasive manoeuvres, longer overtaking) that could arise from a consistent speed limit, especially in varied Malaysian road conditions? We want to avoid claims that limiters are causing more accidents, particularly in the early phase.
6. A bigger safety picture
Speed limiters are powerful, but not the only answer. How will this measure be smoothly integrated into a broader, proactive national road safety strategy that focuses on prevention?
What simultaneous, new initiatives will be strengthened – like advanced driver behaviour monitoring, predicting accident hotspots, making black boxes mandatory for heavy vehicles, and comprehensive post-accident data analysis – to ensure we're tackling the problem from every angle?
Crucially, how will we ensure this fits into the existing master plan without conflict or deviation, enhancing, not disrupting, our established safety goals?
7. Closing loopholes before they start
Learning from other countries and past projects, we know resourceful operators might look for loopholes. What specific "future-proofing" policy adjustments and legal changes are being drafted to anticipate and quickly close any gaps in regulations or technical vulnerabilities?
We must avoid repeating the failure of the demerit point system, for instance, which started hot but then fizzled out. How will the government actively work with experts to identify and stop potential bypass methods before they become a problem, ensuring the mandate is solid and hard to get around?
This initiative is a chance for truly bold leadership. The minister sets the vision; now, empower the RTD director-general and all agencies to lead this implementation. They must learn from every hurdle and drive continuous improvement, with the DG held fully accountable.
Though late to this technology, Malaysia should aim to be best-in-class, setting a new standard for road safety in our region.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
