KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 ― The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) wants the Safety, Health and Environment Code for the Transportation Sector to be applied on ambulances too after a driver and a patient died in one en route to the Slim River Hospital.

The practice code has been implemented for buses and lorries since 2014.

“In order to reduce the number of road accidents and risk of injury MIROS suggest that the Code of Safety, Health and Environment for the Transportation sector that lorries and buses have adopted since 2014 be extended to ambulances as well,” MIROS said in a statement today.

“This code provides guidelines for employees and employers regarding issues concerning road safety and health which included managing drivers, vehicles, travel and risk management,” it added.

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The road safety think tank also recommended new ambulances be equipped with Electronic Stability Control to help stabilise the vehicle while driving on slippery surfaces.

MIROS director-general Siti Zaharah Ishak said ambulance drivers should also undergo training on how to drive in an emergency situation.

“It can be done practically or using simulators so that these drivers can practise and be ready to face difficult driving situations when they arise.

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“Exposure to such practices will better prepare them for the challenges ahead and these lessons must be done periodically to keep them sharp and ever vigilant,” she added in the statement.

An ambulance driver and the woman patient in it died but three other passengers survived when the vehicle crashed and overturned on the North-South Expressway near Slim River, Perak on August 4.

Earlier reports citing the police attributing the crash to the ambulance tyre bursting, but MIROS said the real reason is still under investigation.

MIROS said in an emergency situation the general public must be aware of their surroundings and listen to the sirens from the authorities which includes police, Fire and Rescue Department, Customs, Prison Department and the Road Transport Department and give way.

However, it said emergency drivers should still check if the road is safe before overtaking other vehicles.