Authorities should impose demerit points when summonses are issued rather than when they are paid, so that errant motorists face the consequences of their traffic offences immediately, say road safety experts. Under the current system, demerit points are only awarded once a summons is paid, which largely takes away any fear of consequence for their actions.
According to road safety council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh, swift punitive action could influence behavioural change, and should be incorporated into the revamped Kejara demerit system. His comments come in the wake of a recent spate of fatal road accidents, prompting the topic to resurface once more, as The Star reports.
“The mindset should be towards being cautious of committing traffic offences as it not only risks fines, but the immediate issuance of demerit points which can lead to licence suspensions. This is the desired deterrence for behaviour changes that road safety experts and activists have been advocating for,” he said.
He also proposed lowering the threshold for licence suspension to 15 points from the current 20. For serious offences, such as beating red lights, exceeding the speed limit, tailgating, overtaking in prohibited zones, using mobile devices, failing to wear seatbelts or helmets and lane splitting, he suggested imposing five demerit points each.
Universiti Putra Malaysia road safety research centre head, Law Teik Hua, concurred, saying the effectiveness of the Kejara system depended on how quickly offences were recorded and enforcement action taken. He said that motorists who were blacklisted but continued to offend should be categorised – and penalised – according to their risk level.
“Some may be occasional offenders, while others may be high-risk repeat offenders who repeatedly commit serious offences. While some may only require a licence suspension or restriction, others may require stricter action, including rehabilitation programmes or additional training,” he said.
Law also called for closer monitoring of motorists returning to the road after having their licences suspended or accumulating a high number of demerit points, saying that such motorists should be treated differently.
He said that there should be an integration of relevant data between enforcement agencies. “If traffic offences, court decisions, licence status and Kejara points can be accessed in one place, it would be easier to identify and monitor high-risk motorists and take action before an accident occurs,” he said.
He also agreed that the proposed increase in traffic fines could serve as an effective deterrent, but it should not be viewed as the main solution, stating that it had to be combined with stronger enforcement and an effective management of repeat offenders.
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