Drinking and driving is, of course, extremely dangerous and a serious offence, but it’s now known that drunk drivers have been a source of several traffic-related fatalities since 2010, according to a report from The Star.
“Between 2010 and April 2015, a total of 1,035 road accidents were recorded due to the influence of alcohol which resulted in 618 deaths,” said home minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He added that there were also total of 207 accidents that resulted in serious injuries, while 287 caused serious injuries and 15 involved damaged vehicles only.
We probably don’t need to remind our dear readers that you should never, under any circumstances, be driving under the influence of anything as inebriating as alcohol, but we cannot stress enough how dangerous it is. It doesn’t matter how safe you normally drive, or how much of the traffic rulebook you obey when you’re on the road; it all goes down the drain every time your consciousness is tampered by a drink or two.
Having a designated driver is always good practice, but even if you don’t have one and you need to get home after hitting the drinks, there are always other ways of going at it – these days, via apps such as MyTeksi and Uber, a driver is just a tap (and a couple of minutes’ wait) away.
Yes, it’s a hassle to have to return to the bar to collect your car the next day, but it sure beats never reaching home the one time you decide to take the wheel at the end of a night.
am not a muslim, i don’t drink either, am not against drinking but these drunk drivers should be banned for life from driving if they ever get out of prison.
and they must pay a life time allowance support to the victim’s spouses/family.
and they are banned from ever drinking again, if they are caught drinking, they will go to prison for life…. and with the keys throw away. sorry, but this is a must.
Totally agree, same here.
I had the experience of having a lady who was intoxicated and rear ended my car once at a traffic light. While the damage was not too bad, it was a good thing I was in a car with proper safety features, as if it wasn’t for the active headrests and seatbelts, pretty sure it would have been worse on my side.
Oh and yes, her car had to be towed.
…where got extra income if you ban it….
Alcohol and cigarette are harmful to health. Ban both lar I dare you!!
When you guys smoke like no tomorrow and end up in General hospital, why should I bear your medical bill?
Agree with the legal punishment, but lifetime allowance? That’s another punishment for people who did wrong once.
Ban lifetime from drinking — this involve system and many works behind, not practical (in Malaysia). Get jail (for life) again just for drinking — another joke then.
I more curious on the cases caused by Nasi Lemak…
They can work for their entire life to pay to support the victim’s family. Can the drunk driver bring back the dead? If he can, then all is forgiven.
Yes, ban him for drinking ever. In today’s age of smartphone, no need police. just someone that really dislike him will take videos or photos.
Joke? If you wanna drink, dont drive. if u wanna drive, dont drink. if wanna die, die alone, don’t causes someone to lose a parent or child.
Do you seriously put Nasi Lemak into this matters.
Offenders who got caught three times driving drunk should be hanged or sent to lifetime in prison.
Driving drunk is attempted murder.
seriously, nothing good can come from consuming alcoholic drinks be it beer, wine or lager.
Thats why we should implement hudud.
Incoming Gov useless for no enforcement to catch drunk drivers at 3am in the night.
i hope all the 618 deaths are the drunk drivers. i dont feel sorry at all for the death of drunk drivers. if they want to endanger their life, go ahead. but dont endanger other innocent lives
Funny enuf…….most drunkards claim themselves not drunk, and proceeded to driving their own car….until accident happened…
The damn drunkard can die drunk, if that all they ever wanted.
I just pity the innocent lives lost due to these damn drunkards….
Their ego killed those innocent ppl..
SImple solution – ban alcohol in Malaysia.
618 lives can be saved.
why stop there ?
might as well ban life, and no deaths will occur
Prostitution is a problem in Malaysia. Lets ban sex.
Good luck.
Civil liberties should not be sacrificed on account of some irresponsible drinkers. Throw the book at them.
You’ve just offended DAP’s Cristian bloc.
While at it, might as well ban fags…let’s see who cries the most
Don’t forget to ban cendol too as too much cendol makes me sleepy.
why ban this and that so susah? straight away ban cars la…. no more car accident…. thousands of lives could be saved by that!!! all cycle
In that case should initiate the ban of cigarettes as a higher priority. Smoking kills more per year than drunk driving and second hand smoke kills more than smokers.
BODOH
better ban nasi lemak too……as nasi lemak consumption makes driver drowsy….and would cause road accident…
68% are Myvi, Axia and Vios car owner.
While I do not condone drunk driving, people who claim they are not drunk after drinking can never admit to that fact and it is the authorities who should step in.
Our police are constantly asking for RM300 to 500 bribes just to let these people through a road block. That’s not correct. As soon as a person is found to be drunk driving, the car should be compounded and the person put in a lockup and license suspended. Then charges will be pressed against him or her. This is the way how I have seen Singapore do it and it ought to be more effective.
Handphone/Texting use while driving proven more dangerous & probably more people do it too right? Not that I support drunk driving. Just saying.