Transport Minister Anthony Loke says 24 people died in drink- and drug-driving crashes in the first five months of 2026 as 912 impaired drivers were arrested.
PETALING JAYA: A total of 24 people were killed in road accidents involving drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the first five months of this year, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
He said police recorded 48 accidents involving impaired drivers between Jan 1 and May 31, with 24 fatal cases, eight cases involving serious injuries, nine causing minor injuries and seven resulting in property damage only.
“In the same period, police arrested 912 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
Loke was responding to a question from V. Ganabatirau (PH-Klang), who sought the latest statistics from 2023 to 2026 on road accidents and fatalities by vehicle category, as well as cases involving drivers operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
He said the number of arrests for the offence had declined from 3,299 cases in 2023 to 2,468 in 2024 and 1,820 last year.
“Based on police records, 77 accidents involving alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers were reported in 2025, including 33 fatal crashes.
“In comparison, 2024 recorded 92 such accidents, comprising 45 fatal cases, while 2023 saw 48 accidents involving impaired drivers, including 22 fatalities.”
Loke said 13 people died in alcohol-related crashes last year, accounting for 0.2% of the 6,537 road fatalities recorded nationwide.
He added that 12 deaths were recorded in 2024 out of 6,464 total road fatalities, representing 0.19%, while 13 deaths were recorded in 2023 out of 6,473 fatalities, accounting for 0.2%. In 2022, 14 deaths were recorded out of 6,080 road fatalities, representing 0.23%.
He also said cars remained the vehicle type most commonly involved in road accidents, accounting for between 60% and 70% of cases annually, while motorcycle-related accidents continued to rise by an average of 5.83% each year.
“Although motorcycle-related accidents are not as high as those involving cars, their impact is more severe, contributing to more than 65% of deaths each year.”
On whether amendments to Section 44 of the Road Transport Act 1987 had been effective in reducing deaths caused by drink-driving, Loke said continuous reviews were being carried out to strengthen road safety measures.
“The government is currently studying proposed amendments to Act 333 to introduce specific provisions allowing courts to order convicted offenders involved in serious offences under the Act to pay compensation to victims of road accidents or their lawful heirs.”
He said the proposed amendments aimed to strengthen protection for victims and their families while ensuring the law continued to focus on both punishment and prevention.
Loke added that the Road Transport Offence Demerit Points System (Kejara) remained an important mechanism to monitor driver behaviour, identify high-risk drivers and discipline repeat offenders before road offences resulted in loss of life.
“The ministry will continue to conduct studies from time to time to strengthen the country’s road safety framework and ensure that punishments are commensurate with the seriousness of offences while providing an effective deterrent,” he stressed.
