PETALING JAYA, July 13 — The rear seat belt ruling, implemented in January 2009, has failed because of a deep-rooted problem — the mentality of Malaysian motorists in refusing to buckle up.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) director-general Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said this was the reason the ruling was not working.
“We do not look after our own safety. The device is available, simple to use and has been proven effective in reducing fatalities, all you need to do is pull and click,” he said.
A US Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report found that rear seat belt use effectively reduced the number of fatalities among rear passengers by up to 40 per cent, as cited in a 2014 Miros study.
Wong was responding to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai’s statement on Saturday that a study found only seven to nine per cent of passengers complied with the ruling.
He said a 2008 Miros study showed the public would only use the rear seat belt if the law was enforced.
“Only seven per cent of rear passengers use the seat belt although 70 per cent know of its benefits. Our study showed most motorists refused to wear the rear seat belt as it is not comfortable and inconvenient,” he said.
“But, it is the same for the front seat belt. It will just take time to get used to it.”
According to the study, the compliance rate jumped to 47 per cent in February 2009 when the law took effect but steadily declined to 13.5 per cent by December that year and has remained low since.
“It reflects the attitude of Malaysians. In spite of a six-month publicity campaign, and subsequent enforcement, people have gone back to the old ways,” Wong said.
Noting that enforcement was an important element to the success of the ruling, he admitted there were also challenges in enforcing the law.
“It is not as straightforward as the front seat. There are practical considerations that make enforcement difficult,” he said.
Passenger vehicles registered before 1995 are exempted from the ruling and retrofitting a rear seat belt was not made a requirement.
“Challenges faced by agencies include budget constraints, which hamper efforts to encourage the wearing of rear seat belts and for the message to reach the masses,” Wong said.
Road Transport Department enforcement director Jaafar Mohamed denied there was a failure in enforcing the law but agreed that public mentality was a big factor in successful enforcement.
“We enforce the law but the public should ensure the ‘efficiency’ of enforcement. As members of the public, they must realise they are a part of the community,” he said.
“They must understand the law is there to protect them.
“Any law is workable but it is important to cultivate it as part of our culture. The aim is to be a ‘self-regulatory’ nation like developed countries.”
Last year, Malay Mail reported that although the law required rear passengers to wear seat belts, summonses were rarely issued by the police because too many broke the law.
Many enforcement personnel prefer a “softer” punishment instead.
However, both Wong and Jaafar insist the law, under which passengers found guilty could be issued with a RM300 summons, should not be abolished as it is vital in saving lives.
