KUALA LUMPUR: More highway patrols are required, especially along road crash ‘hot spots’ - including on emergency lanes - to ensure that no vehicles remain there for too long, says deputy director of the Malaysian Institute of Transport (MITRANS), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Dr Siti Zaharah Ishak.
She said frequent patrols would be able to minimise emergency response time to reach the accident site.
“There are road users who are not too aware of measures to be taken during an emergency on the highway.
“What’s more, the impact of a collision between a fast-moving vehicle and a static object or a stationary vehicle is greater, which can cause serious injury or even death. So regular patrols and immediate assistance can reduce the risk of casualties,“ she said when contacted by Bernama.
In the incident on Friday night, 10 people died in an accident involving three cars and a trailer at the USJ Rest & Recuperation stop on the ELITE Expressway heading towards Shah Alam.
The victims who died comprised nine members of a family, namely the mother and eight children, as well as a mechanic.
Siti Zaharah said based on the initial analysis, the incident could be attributed to various factors including dark and rainy conditions which contributed to a poor visibility rate, causing a delay in the driver’s response to anticipate the object in front.
“With a limited cone of vision, the trailer (driver) could not guess the type of vehicle, the number of vehicles (present), or whether the vehicle is stopped or moving.
“Therefore, the reaction time for the trailer driver to decide to act was delayed, as well, taking into account the braking factor and the impact of the load carried by the trailer.
“I believe the distance or so-called ‘stopping sight distance’ was too short, so the trailer could not dodge and collided with the vehicle that was stationary on the road shoulder,“ she said.
Meanwhile, director of the Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Research Centre at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), Zulhaidi Mohd Jawi said a thorough investigation was needed before an accurate explanation could be given.
He said if a vehicle was stopped on the emergency lane due to damage, passengers in the vehicle were advised to get out and wait outside the road barrier (guard rail) for safety reasons.
“Highway emergency lanes are high risk areas because on average, vehicles are moving faster there than on normal roads.
“Drivers who stop are also advised to use emergency equipment such as placing the reflective warning triangle in the correct position, and should inform the highway patrol as soon as possible,“ he said. — Bernama
