There’s been a viral WhatsApp message of a purported police statement saying that the force will conduct checks to enforce the wearing of rear seatbelts every evening on the Plus Highway. RM300 fine for one errant rear passenger and RM600 for two, so it goes.
The PDRM’s Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) has come out to deny issuing such a statement as well as the RM300 per rear passenger fine.
“Road users are urged to stop spreading any fake message and to always check the veracity of any message before uploading or sharing it on social media. The department advises all road users to always obey the law and traffic rules to ensure everyone’s safety,” Bukit Aman JSPT deputy director Datuk Mohd Nadzri Hussain said in a statement.
Plus has also released a statement debunking the rear seatbelt operations rumour. “However, Plus strongly recommends all highway customers to always secure themselves using the rear seatbelts, as well as securing their infant and child in child safety restraint seats for a safer journey,” the statement added.
So, while there’s no such rear seat belt operasi by the police, we really should buckle up at the back and make it a habit. A study conducted by MIROS last year found that seat belt usage compliance is at 90% for drivers, 70% for front seat passengers and just 11% for rear seat passengers – that’s not good enough.
Besides the risk of catapulting forward in a crash and hitting hard surfaces, research has found that drivers are twice as likely to be killed in crashes when the occupant behind them is not wearing a seatbelt, so perhaps a large scale rear seatbelt operations by the cops is needed after all.
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I don’t even know why they are not enforcing rear seat belts. They should be giving out fines as much as possible. Malaysians only follow rules when fines are involved. The police should also be giving out fines for the lack of use of turn signals. Every other country does this and it makes the roads safer. I don’t know why Malaysia can’t enforce these important road rules but go about enforcing all the other useless rules
Previous admin have legalised black tints so anything illegal can be legalised. I have no doubts if they return to power, they might legalised not wearing seatbelts after all.
When 9 passengers inside the car, choose who to buckle up… Abam-abam PDRM then preferred to operasi those foreigners found in teksi & grabcar
Good to go after them as mostly they don’t follow rules.
If ever there was a ‘good’ fake news this would be it. I don’t mind if it were faked and viralled as this would put fear of not buckling at the rear, I fully supports this effort.
If people cannot be coerced to buckle up, then make them fear punishment even if its fake news. Already we got idiots not buckling up at the front, preferring to use fake seatbelt clips to by pass the sensors that is trying keep them alive.
Fake or real news, any efforts to enhance road safety is good news. Think SAFETY FIRST!
This is a fake posting
I think Safety First have made it clear it’s immaterial whether fake or not but whatever that works to bring compliance to the law is much welcomed.