KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — Concerned by the increasingly alarming number of road accidents in the country, a social media user has taken the initiative to educate the public about road safety in a casual and easy-to-understand way.

Through his ‘Driving4Dummies’ platform on Instagram and TikTok, Muhammad Ammar Mohd Anas — who works in information technology at an international oil and gas company here — has been sharing short videos on road etiquette and rules and responsibilities of road users for the past two years.

“I was deeply affected by the frequent news of road accidents claiming lives. It’s upsetting and frustrating because the same incidents keep happening and yet there’s no change in driving attitudes.

“At first, I felt helpless. But over time, I realised I could contribute by sharing road safety messages from agencies such as the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros),” he told Bernama recently.

With over 30,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, one of his videos that went viral features his disappointment over road users who ignore the right of pedestrians to cross safely. That video garnered over 450,000 views and 70,000 likes.

Muhammad Ammar, 29, said his videos are aimed at all road users, especially youths and new drivers.

He believes that informal content on social media plays a vital role in complementing formal education, which tends to be more technical.

“I try to produce videos that are short and simple so the message reaches everyone, even those who have held a licence for a long time but may have forgotten basic rules,” he said.

Muhammad Ammar, who has a degree in Business Information Systems from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, observed that impatience and a lack of empathy behind the wheel remain common habits among road users in Malaysia.

“Many also still don’t understand basic driving functions, such as using signals (when making a turn) and giving way to others, as well as the importance of having patience,” he said, grateful that his content has received positive feedback from the public.

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Muhammad Ammar said many drivers still fail to recognise their obligation to give way to pedestrians, even though the law clearly states this right.

“When I visited Japan and Australia, drivers would stop automatically when they saw someone at a crossing. But here, even when the pedestrian light is green, some drivers still ignore it.

“Many drivers have never experienced how difficult it can be to cross a road as a pedestrian. That’s why they don’t understand or take it seriously,” he said.

The father of one also suggested several improvements, such as installing special ‘Stop for Pedestrians’ signs, lowering speed limits in urban areas, extending pedestrian crossing light durations, and improving public complaint apps to make them more user-friendly.

Muhammad Ammar also hopes efforts to educate the public on road safety can be expanded through collaborations with authorities like JPJ, Miros, police and the Public Works Department.

He also hopes ‘Driving4Dummies’ can be expanded to become an official road safety education platform, perhaps as a light module for schools, universities or driving institutes.

“I also hope that one day, Malaysians will become more considerate on the road. Driving isn’t just about getting from point A to B… it’s a form of social interaction. If we start with small actions like giving way and being patient, it can make a big difference,” he said. — Bernama