Throughout the long Raya break, thousands of cars have been on the road as Malaysians travelled back to their hometown to reunite with their family members.
However, there has also been a huge surge in the number of traffic summonses being issued to errant drivers, as what witnessed during this year’s Raya period.
Traffic summonses jumped by 292% during Raya period
According to NST, a total of 114,467 summonses were handed out to drivers during Op Selamat 22, which coincided with this year’s Raya holiday.
This number was a 292% increase from last year’s figure of 29,216 summonses.
Despite the skyrocketing number of traffic summonses, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the number of road accidents saw a slight dip.
According to comparative reports, there were 8,862 road accidents recorded during Op Selamat 22, marking a drop of 127 cases or 1.41% compared to 8,989 cases the previous year.
“As for fatal accidents, a total of 105 cases were recorded, a reduction of 12 cases or 10% compared to 117 cases last year.
“Fatalities stood at 119, a decrease of seven cases or 6% compared to 126 cases in the previous year,” he said during Op Selamat 22’s closing ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre (Pulapol).
Motorcyclists still the most vulnerable
Razarudin added that 43 cases of serious injuries were recorded, which was a decrease of 13 cases or 23% compared to 56 cases last year.
He said this was thanks to increased public awareness of road safety and responsible driving practices.
Nevertheless, motorcyclists were found to be most prone to road accidents, where 79 deaths were recorded during Op Selamat 22.
“Several contributing factors included vehicle control failure due to fatigue and drowsiness, as well as inadequate distance between vehicles,” he said.
Razarudin also praised the traffic enforcement officers for going out of their way to ensure the safety of road users as well as drivers for showing patience and tolerance while on the road.
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