M'sia to make seatbelts mandatory for all drivers & passengers in private vehicles

Malaysia will be making it mandatory for all drivers and passengers in private vehicles to wear seatbelts.

Those who fail to buckle up may face fines of up to RM300 (S$91) if caught.

The seatbelt law making it a must for drivers and front seat occupants to belt up was passed in 1978.

It was amended in 2009 to cover rear-seat passengers.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) in Malaysia is about to enforce this nationwide, The Star reported.

Singapore's seatbelt laws came into operation on Jan. 1, 2012, according to Singapore Statutes Online.

JPJ director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli did not disclose the start date of the nationwide enforcement.

But he added that the department's current priority is to carry out advocacy programmes on seatbelt usage.

New road safety campaign

As part of this advocacy, the "Klik Sebelum Gerak" campaign was launched on Sep. 11.

The aim of this campaign is to enhance road safety culture and highlight the necessity of seatbelt use for all vehicle occupants, not just drivers.

The JPJ director-general said in a press conference on Sep. 11: "We will announce the enforcement of seatbelt use for passengers of private cars soon. For now, we are beginning with this campaign first."

Enforcement of seatbelt use has already begun for express and tour bus drivers and passengers since Jul. 1.

The enforcement applies to buses manufactured after January 2020.

However, buses built earlier are given time to install seatbelts.

Malaysia seatbelt laws

The grace period for vehicle owners in Malaysia to install rear seatbelts began in 2009 to 2011.

Vehicles registered before 1995 or those not equipped with rear anchorage points were exempted.

Wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of passenger fatalities by as much as 50 per cent during an accident, according to a study conducted by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research.

Singapore seatbelt laws

In Singapore, the current Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) Rules 2011 applies to all drivers and passengers of private vehicles.

If convicted, offenders are liable to a fine not exceeding S$1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.

In the case of a second or subsequent offence, offenders are liable to a fine not exceeding S$2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.

Seatbelt-related accidents

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) conducted a 2017 research study investigating the use of seatbelts in Singapore.

The study examined the data of some 4,600 patients who were involved in traffic accidents and were admitted to the emergency departments of five public hospitals for treatment.

Wong Ting Hway, the doctor who led the research study, said: "Our study shows that more than half of back-seat passengers do not wear seat belts, which makes them vulnerable to severe injuries."

The consultant at the hospital's Department of General Surgery added: "With our results, we hope these groups could be targeted in future road safety campaigns because they are at risk of sustaining more severe injuries."

According to SGH's website, rear-seat passengers who did not wear seat belts were about 45 per cent more likely to sustain severe injuries than front-seat passengers and drivers.

Additionally, more than 30 per cent of passengers who travelled between 7am and 10am without wearing a seat belt sustained severe injuries.

According to a paper on scientific database ScienceDirect.com, car drivers in Malaysia make up 9 per cent of road accident fatalities and passengers make up 13.6 per cent.

The paper added that seat belts have proved to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passengers by 45 per cent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 per cent.

Top photos via Canva