Malaysia considers life bans on drivers in fatal accidents
Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has emphasized the need to amend the country’s Road Transport Act to ensure that drivers responsible for causing deaths are banned from driving for life.
Cars wait for the traffic lights at a junction approaching the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur on Jul 14, 2004. (Photo: AFP)Kuala
Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has emphasized
the need to amend the country’s Road Transport Act to ensure that drivers
responsible for causing deaths are banned from driving for life.
Anthony pointed out that Section 41 of the Act states that a driver guilty of causing death by reckless driving cannot hold or obtain a driving licence for at least three years, stressing that this punishment is not strict enough.
According to the minister, drivers who cause fatal accidents must be banned from driving for the rest of their lives.
As for the amendment to the Act, Loke said such a change would take some time because it needed to be studied and brought to the Attorney General’s Chambers before being tabled in Parliament.
Chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) Lee Lam Thye expressed his support for such a ban. Drastic action needs to be taken to be a deterrent, he said.
According to the current Road Transport Act, besides being banned from driving for at least three years, offenders will be jailed for 2-10 years, and fined between 5,000-20,000 ringgit (1,200-4,800 USD).
Statistics from the Transport Ministry show that around 30,000 traffic accidents occur in Malaysia each year and the figure is on the rise in the recent time.-VNA
Anthony pointed out that Section 41 of the Act states that a driver guilty of causing death by reckless driving cannot hold or obtain a driving licence for at least three years, stressing that this punishment is not strict enough.
According to the minister, drivers who cause fatal accidents must be banned from driving for the rest of their lives.
As for the amendment to the Act, Loke said such a change would take some time because it needed to be studied and brought to the Attorney General’s Chambers before being tabled in Parliament.
Chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) Lee Lam Thye expressed his support for such a ban. Drastic action needs to be taken to be a deterrent, he said.
According to the current Road Transport Act, besides being banned from driving for at least three years, offenders will be jailed for 2-10 years, and fined between 5,000-20,000 ringgit (1,200-4,800 USD).
Statistics from the Transport Ministry show that around 30,000 traffic accidents occur in Malaysia each year and the figure is on the rise in the recent time.-VNA
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