MALAYSIA: THE top three things that may cause drivers on probation to lose their licences are consumption of alcohol while driving, not having their 'P' stickers on their cars and committing a traffic offence such as speeding or causing a traffic accident, says Association of Malaysian Driving Institutes president Mat Aris Bakar.

He says that although most 'P' drivers do not have enough experience and driving skills, there is no direct link that proves they cause the most number of automobile accidents.

Instead, he cites motorcyclists as being more prone to accidents – of the 6,280 deaths recorded in 2003, 60% of the fatalities involved motorcycles.

"Our car accident rates are almost the same as that of Australia, which is a good comparison in terms of population and road users," explains Mat Aris who spent eight years working for Road Transport Department before setting up his own private driving school seven years ago.

In fact, at 4.9 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles (which gives a fatality index value of 4.9), Malaysia is not doing too badly compared to other developing countries but could certainly do better.

Mat Aris also believes that increasing the minimum age requirement for a driving licence is not the solution. Alternatively, he urges the government to look into the three E’s – education, enforcement and engineering. These three aspects have to be emphasised to tackle road safety in a comprehensive manner.

Basic road safety education, he says, should be taught at all levels of the education system. Similarly, there should be more visible road enforcement as well as proper road systems that minimise road accidents.

"We are all road users whether we drive or not. Everyone should know what basic road signs mean from a young age and not only study them when sitting for a driving exam."

Countries like Australia, New Zealand and Japan, he adds, have developed a proper road safety curriculum where safety is always top priority.

Peer pressure

Road Safety Research Centre director Prof Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) says the current road safety education curriculum, although satisfactory, focuses more on the task of driving rather than safety. In many developed countries, it is the other way around.

"Australia and Britain have statutory bodies at national and state levels to look into road safety. They propose to the government budgets and targets to achieve.

"They implement the projects and this is followed by an audit to determine if the targets are achieved," says Dr Radin Umar who has written many papers on road safety.

He believes having properly trained and certified instructors is the first step towards improving current road safety standards.

"They must believe in this safety ideology first before they can teach effectively," he adds.

The youth, he observes, feature in many car crashes. He concurs with Mat Aris that motorcyclists aged 16 to 17 are almost four times more likely to get involved in serious accidents compared to those in the 25 to 30 age group.

Peer pressure may be a contributory factor to this. "In one of our studies, we found that 82% of young riders will accept illegal racing if challenged. In Australia, 'P' licence holders are not allowed to carry passengers of the same age group because this increases the risk of an accident by six times," he explains, adding that the Australian government is also working on imposing a new system of "graduated licence".

Graduated licensing is a system designed to phase in young beginners to full driving privileges as they mature and develop their driving skills.

There are three stages in a graduated system and beginners must remain in each of the first two stages for a set time. The three stages consist of a supervised learner's period, an intermediate licence period after passing an initial driving test, and, finally, full driving privileges if no infractions were recorded during the intermediate period.

Starting young

The proposed Road Safety Education (RSE) curriculum by the Transport and Education Ministries, says Dr Radin Umar, is based on the Australian model.

"We worked hard with teachers and the curriculum division of the Education Ministry and we found that incorporating RSE into English and BM classes is the most effective approach."

Currently, he adds, research is being done on the impact of RSE on driving knowledge, attitude and practices of motorists in a bid to make Malaysian roads safer in the future.

"I strongly suggest that RSE efforts be made nationwide. We must invest in the young as it takes only a seven-year cycle to create a new generation of drivers on the road.

"Those in Year Three today will become drivers in seven years. And unless we change their mindset now we will keep talking about bad driving habits for the next 100 years," he cautions.

More importantly, he stresses that the success of RSE will determine the success of other safety interventions.

"For example, it is so difficult to persuade drivers at the rear to wear seatbelts.

We need law and enforcement to make this happen. However, if we impart a safe culture right from childhood, it will become natural," he says, adding that his own children wear seatbelts in the backseat without being reminded.

He adds: "If parents love their children, this is the least they can do."

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/3/27/education/10491217&sec=education