Crash accident collision

In a follow-up to the release of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015, the Malaysian police has responded to the statistics gathered on road deaths involving motorists who were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. According to theSun, the authorities have since dismissed WHO’s findings, claiming that the overall figure was “inaccurate and off the mark.”

“Statistics from the Traffic Department have shown that fatalities caused by drink-driving or driving under the influence of alcohol so far this year until September was only 16 cases or 0.004% from the overall fatalities statistics,” said head of police corporate communications, Datin ACP Asmawati Ahmad.

The WHO report stated that 23% of deaths involving motorcyclists and motorists in Malaysia were alcohol-related while the body has also provided Malaysia with a score of five out of 10 on efforts made to enforce drink-driving laws. Asmawati claimed that the figures provided by the WHO recorded only the suspected cases and confirmed ones.

3-point-centre-seat-belt-with-talent

Efforts on enforcing the rear seat belt law were rated just 4/10 by the WHO.

“The 0.004% is the real indicator after police obtained the result of blood and urine samples of the victims from the Chemistry Department,” she clarified. In 2014, 193 cases (0.041%) of drink-driving were recorded while the year before saw a total of 207 cases (0.043%).

Separately, the police has also refuted WHO’s findings on the country’s rear seat belt compliance level. In the report, Malaysia was scored a total of just four points out of 10 for enforcement levels on implementing the national seat belt law. While he did conceded that rear seat belt compliance levels were still low, he felt that said ratings were unjust as more and more awareness campaigns were in the works.

In response, Federal Traffic Police chief, Mahamad Akhir Darus said, “I wonder how WHO conducted the research and provided the poor marks on the rate of seat belt usage in the country. This is a foreign body and their method and findings are questionable.”

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