GEORGE TOWN: A man recorded driving against traffic in a viral video on social media yesterday claimed that he had just started working in the state and was unfamiliar with the roads here.

Northeast police chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said police investigations confirmed the incident occurred at 10.50 pm on March 23 along Jalan Masjid Negeri.

“Based on the investigation, the car is registered under the name of a 32-year-old local woman from Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. The driver at the time of the incident was the husband of the vehicle owner.

“The 36-year-old man, who is an engineer, claimed that he had just started working in this state and was unfamiliar with Penang road directions. As a result, he mistakenly drove into the oncoming lane on Jalan Masjid Negeri during the incident,“ he said in a statement today.

Abdul Rozak said that following the incident, the man was issued a summons under Rule 6(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959 (Rule 6(1) LN 166/59).

He advised road users to plan their journeys or use online navigation applications while driving to avoid mistakes that could endanger other road users.

Earlier, a 31-second video recorded from a vehicle’s dashboard camera went viral, showing an individual driving against traffic on a busy road, sparking criticism from netizens.