Police says WHO drink driving statistics “inaccurate”

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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Gregory Sze

An “actor” by training, Gregory Sze realised that he has had enough of drama in his life. Following his number one passion (acting was actually number two), he decided to make the jump into the realm of automotive journalism. He appreciates the simple things in life – a simple car with nothing but back-to-basics mechanical engineering and minimal electronics on board.

 

Comments

  • Who do you believe? on Oct 30, 2015 at 9:43 am

    Denying as always….. that’s how the Malaysian authority do day in and out. Not mentioning those who cheated but dare to say that they always care for them. Go figure.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 25 Thumb down 1
    • Corrupted PDRM - Malu Betul on Oct 30, 2015 at 10:57 am

      Firstly and foremost, PDRM must sort themselves out first. Corruption is at unprecedented level. Everything also money talks. The Trafik Polis are the worst. Majority of them always on the take to make the saman disappear.

      Now, they are even brave. They even ask the offender and even quote the amount.

      This the PDRM cannot sort and they got time to talk big and criticise foreign data and bodies who show the problems in Malaysia.

      The PDRM is the SOLE CAUSE of most accidents in Malaysia because, everytime an officer takes money to make the saman disappear, he encourages such offenders to continue doing the same offence over and over again.

      In the night, so many people are mabuk gila. 90% of those caught give duit kopi to settle the matter. It is utter bull that only 16 cases. Drive in KL on a Saturday night say 2am, you can see so many people drive recklessly and goyang goyang ie not stable.

      So, please lah PDRM, don’t lie. People are not stupid. So you are saying until September, only 16 cases???

      Please start by ensuring your officers stop taking money from the offenders to make the saman go away.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 1
      • RM3000 Per Day Job on Oct 30, 2015 at 11:36 am

        My friend Polis Trafik in North South highway, he says he makes RM3000 per day clean profit.

        Why even bother studying to get degree like this?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 1
        • karam singh on Oct 30, 2015 at 12:14 pm

          Never mind the statistic,
          Driving with alcohol influence should be banned, what if our family members happens to be driving and the drunk guy accidentally hit them.
          Please don’t drink and drive.
          Consider other road user,

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
          • Same L0rrrr on Oct 30, 2015 at 2:18 pm

            Malaysian might not able to produce good car, but best at denying facts. Donation is the best example.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • hahaha on Oct 30, 2015 at 11:11 am

      If the stats from WHO is accurate, then someone is lying.

      If WHO is making up stats, we can’t drive for sh*ts.

      Either way it looks terrible on us.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Doesn’t matter. Take it as a pointer for you to bolster your enforcement. Saying it’s inaccurate sounds like somebody got quite the size of an ego.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 1
  • C.P.MOHAN on Oct 30, 2015 at 10:10 am

    Disputing ‘the causes of accident deaths ‘. I can only see one major reason for the dispute, focus/money is being poured into areas that will not bring down accident rates.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • BigBalls on Oct 30, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Don’t say rear seat belt compliance, these days many drivers and front passengers don’t put on their belts anymore. Kids climbing all over the place in the car, sitting on the drivers lap, lying on the dashboard etc.

    Instead of denying, why not just take that as a motivation to push further compliance amongst the motorists?

    -BigBalls-

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Most of them are rubbishman

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • George Abdul on Oct 30, 2015 at 10:37 am

    Common law is in disaster, authorities in Malaysia have no shame whenever making statement simply irresponsible…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • ben yap on Oct 30, 2015 at 11:15 am

    i believe WHO stats is accurate but not PDRM.

    WSJ said RM2.6b got swindled. Our gov denied…. so history always repeat itself.

    if denying fails, the racial card game will appear.

    very predictable gov.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
  • Golf MK7 Owner on Nov 01, 2015 at 1:51 am

    This is what happened when even the leader of the country is denying corruption thrown at him blatantly without even putting effort to explain it. How do you expect the rest of the government bodies to function properly with intergrity when we have such arrogant and thick-faced leader in our country? I am surprised at the response given by the Traffic Police rebutting the data by WHO. What are foreign body gonna do to them ? They can’t touch the stupid police just like how no one can touch our dear leader.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
 

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