PETALING JAYA: Despite it being critical to use seat belts to reduce fatalities during vehicle crashes, many Malaysians are still not complying when seated at the rear.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) chairman Dr Wong Shaw Voon said only 10% of adults buckle up while seated in the rear and only 8% of children do so.
“This is due to very poor awareness of the rear-seat belt’s role in saving lives. If you are not using it, you are not only increasing the risk of being killed on the road but raising the death rate significantly for those in the front seats.”
Wong said seat cushions are not designed to reduce the impact of a crash like airbags.
“It is only to ensure you are in the safest position in the event of a crash. The airbag will also not deploy properly if passengers fail to put on their seat belts.”
He added that seat belt reminders have been proven effective, but some people find it annoying and cheat the system by slotting in fake buckles to cut off the alarm.
“Please make good use of the seat belt system. If you see your passengers bypassing it, advise them not to do so as it is for their safety.”
Wong said drivers and passengers need to practise good habits whenever they are in a vehicle.
“We buckle up automatically as drivers, and we should do the same as passengers.
“Once we have made it a habit, we will do it automatically and feel uncomfortable when not using it.”
UPM Professor Dr Kulanthayan K.C. Mani said the RM1,000 fine or jail term of up to one year or both imposed on those caught not using seat belts is acceptable, but enforcement needs to be tightened.
“Enforcement agencies need to increase their presence on the road and carry out activities like stopping vehicles for checks.
Kulanthayan said everyone, including family members, has a role to play in complying with traffic rules.
“Instead of only using safety features to fulfil traffic rules, we should also use them whether there are regulations governing their use or otherwise.
“No matter where we sit in the car, we have to be restrained. Children, who are above 135cm tall or weigh above 36kg, are fit to use a seatbelt,” he said.
