Banned drivers, serious offenders should be retested before being let back on road, says road safety activist

A road safety activist has called on the government to retest suspended drivers before being allowed back on the road so that they are aware of their responsibilities, reported The Star.

Commenting on proposed increased penalties under the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026, Chairman for the Alliance for a Safe Community Lee Lam Thye – who once chaired the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) – said that some offenders that completed their punishment may still possess the same risky behaviour on the road.

“A driver whose licence has been suspended or revoked has already been identified as posing a higher safety risk. Continuing to drive despite such restrictions demonstrates a disregard not only for the law, but also for the safety and lives of other road users,” he said.

Lee added that suspending an offending driver’s licence alone does not necessarily change unsafe driving habits. “Therefore, before being allowed back on the road, they should demonstrate that they have regained the required ­competency, awareness, and responsibility as a driver.”

He continued, saying that while the proposed amendments – which include punishing those operating vehicles with suspended or revoked licences with three years in jail and a fine of up to RM10,000 – were welcome, the authorities still have work to do to ensure long-term behavioural change.

“There is a need for a more integrated approach, which includes enforcement, education, rehabilitation, and competency reassessment,” he said. “Offenders whose licences have been suspended or revoked due to serious traffic violations should be required to undergo a mandatory driving reassessment programme.”

Lee said such a programme should include practical ­driving competency tests, hazard perception assessment, road safety knowledge evaluation and behavioural and attitude assessment. “This should form part of an integrated punishment framework before any consideration is given to licence reinstatement,” he added.

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