JPJ – more traffic offences to go ‘straight to court’

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is considering increasing the number of traffic offences for which offenders will be taken straight to court, The Sun reports. Currently, abuse of the emergency lane is the only offence which sees errant motorists being hauled directly to court.

Apart from emergency lane abuse, JPJ is considering adding offences such as using a handphone while driving, beating red lights, not wearing a seat belt, overtaking on solid double lines, queue-cutting, and fast lane-hogging (for commercial vehicles) to the “straight-to-court” list, JPJ director-general Datuk Seri Nazri Siron told Sin Chew Daily in an interview.

Currently, stern action is taken against motorists who commit the above offences only during festive seasons. The department is waiting for feedback from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), the Public Road Safety Council and the police on the feasibility of its proposal, Nazri added.

He said JPJ needs time to study the proposal to avoid double penalties applied, as the six offences proposed for court action already accumulate demerit points under the Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS).

“Under AWAS, offenders face penalties such as fine and suspension of driving licence; similarly they will also be fined if charged in court. Meanwhile, we have to resolve this problem of double penalties,” he explained.

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