Police dismiss WHO findings on drink driving

PETALING JAYA: Police has dismissed the findings in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015 for road traffic deaths involving drunk-driving by motorcyclists and motorists in Malaysia.
In an official statement to theSun, police clarified that WHO's percentage of 23% for drink-driving in Malaysia as the cause for the overall road fatalities was inaccurate and off the mark.
"Statistics from Traffic Department have shown that fatalities caused by drink-driving or driving under the influence of alcohol so far this year until September was only 16 cases or 0.004% from the overall fatalities statistics," said Police corporate communications head Datin ACP Asmawati Ahmad.
In the road safety report released on Oct 19, the global health agency also provided a score of five out of 10 for the Malaysia's authorities enforcement on drink-driving law.
Asmawati said the WHO report has provided a wrong picture for the country since the 23% percentage was actually referring to suspected cases of drink or riding involving alcohol.
"The 0.004% is the real indicator after police obtained the result of blood and urine samples of the victims from Chemistry Department," she said, adding that last year's statistic for drink-driving was 193 cases or 0.041%.
She also clarified there were 49 cases or 0.021% recorded in 2010, 33 cases (0.007%) for 2011 while in 2012 and 2013, it was 136 cases (0.029%) and 207 (0.043%) respectively.
On Monday, Federal Traffic Police chief Mahamad Akhir Darus had questioned the methodology and data gathering by the global health agency in giving Malaysian authorities a rating of four out of 10 in enforcing the national seat-belt law.
He believes that the 77% rate provided by the UN agency for seat-belt wearing of front seat passengers was low.
Mahamad Akhir also stated that the low percentage for rear seat-belt usage given by WHO was unfair, since the regulation was only introduced in 2009 and advocacy programmes would encourage more people to use it.