Road Safety Council member, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, proposed that those who drive recklessly and "kill" others on the road be handed a mandatory jail sentence.
This was one of four measures he proposed to enhance the ongoing effort to reduce road accidents and deaths in the country.
He said the Government should also rely on school education to create a new breed of motorists and motorcyclists who care for themselves and for others.
In this case it should have a syllabus on road safety for schools to inculcate the need to practise good etiquette and behaviour on the road as well as to build a road safety culture. Other than that, he said, the Government needs to identify all dangerous stretches of Federal, State and municipal roads and take steps to rectify them and make them safe for all road users.
"The Government should also consider introducing a 'Drive Safe and Pay Less' scheme. In this connection, drivers who have undergone defensive driving courses should qualify for payment of lesser insurance premium for their vehicles. Defensive driving is vital for road safety," he said.
"We view with utmost concern the frequent reports of road accidents, fatalities and injuries which are not only tragic to the families involved but also a loss to the nation's workforce," said Lee.
Traffic-related motor vehicle crashes is one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and deaths, he said, adding that commuting accidents also make up a significant percentage of industrial accidents reported to Socso yearly.
According to Socso, the total number of commuting accidents reported yearly had increased. For example, in 2000, the number of commuting accidents recorded was 19,620 cases and it has risen to 22,040 cases in 2010 , an increase by 12.33 per cent.
He said employers and employees must take cognisance of these serious statistics and be prepared to address the issue with a view towards reducing the number of commuting accidents.
In particular, he said employers have a duty to protect their employees and other road users by adopting the approach of "managing occupational road risk" in order to reduce business losses which arise from "at work" road accidents.
In this connection, he said employers have a role to play in developing and implementing comprehensive safety procedures and programmes for the workplace to reduce accidents, deaths and injuries including providing training to their employees to be competent drivers and riders.
He said measures to be taken by employers to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries of workers from motor vehicle crashes should include; establishing a written policy requiring drivers and motorcyclists to undergo safe driving and riding practises and proper use of vehicle safety features; conducting driver's licence background checks on prospective drivers before they are hired, and providing seat belts and other safety features in all employer-provided vehicles; ensuring that drivers and motorcyclists in their employ comply with designated speed limits on roadways, and ensuring and establishing written procedures in respect of proper maintenance of all vehicles owned by the employers; and ensuring drivers observe speed limits and do not permit them to drive while fatigued, and also ensure that workers use appropriate barriers and traffic control efforts while work is being performed on the sides of the roadways.
Other than that, he said employers must also conduct defensive driving and riding courses to minimise accidents; and random drug tests to be carried out on all bus drivers to ensure safety of their passengers.
Lee said employers have a moral obligation to adopt a proactive approach to manage occupational road risk (ORR), adding they should always review the road safety standards of their organisations.
Employers who take action to promote the safety of their staff while driving or riding will achieve major cost savings, improve their image and make a significant contribution to meeting road safety targets, he said.
He said the government should rely on school education to create a new breed of motorists and motorcyclists who care for themselves and for others.
In this connection, he said, it should have a syllabus on road safety for schools to inculcate the need to practise good etiquette and behaviour on the road.
Sources: Daily Express Sabah
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