Stricter Seatbelt Enforcement Coming, Warns Transport Minister

Only seven to nine percent of drivers and passengers are aware of how imperative the use of seat belts are to safety on the road, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, backing up previous findings from MIROS. Stricter enforcement needs to be put into place to affect change.

As the Malaysian Insider reports, following statistics that mark Malaysia as having one of the worst traffic fatality rates in the country during recent times, much firmer measures have to be taken to ensure the safety of the people when on the road, particularly when it concerns basic safety measures such as seatbelts.

The ministry would place more emphasis on campaigns to educate the public on the use of seat belts, especially for rear passengers, in addition to intensifying enforcement by the police and Road Transport Department to ensure the public obeys the requirement. 

"I hope the people will accept the advice because it is for their own good. I don't like to penalise people, but if there is no enforcement, there will be very low compliance with the law," he told reporters in Putrajaya.

In 2014, Malaysia recorded over 180,000 road accidents, leading to 6,674 fatalities.