KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists using highways are urged to not repair their broken down vehicles in emergency lanes but to contact the 999 emergency hotline or the highwayâs operator for assistance.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) board of directorsâ chairman Datuk Suret Singh said attempting to repair vehicles or changing tyres in the emergency lane of highways was very dangerous.
âAll highway operators have patrol and rescue units, so contact them for assistance and to avoid any loss of life. If you donât have the number on your phone, you can obtain it through a Google search.
âUsually, the highway patrol unit will arrive as soon as possible and tow the vehicle to the nearest rest area. Also, all passengers need to exit the vehicle and gather outside the road barrier,â he said in a statement today.
He advised motorists to learn from the fatal incident at occurred at North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) on Dec 18 that killed 10 people.
A mother and eight of her children as well as a mechanic were killed in an incident involving three cars and a trailer at the Elite USJ rest area heading towards Shah Alam.
The trailer was believed to have rammed into three cars that had stopped at the emergency lane after one of them broke down.
Suret said broken down vehicles should engage their emergency lights and drivers are advised to place a reflective triangle or a safety cone around 30 metres behind the vehicle and use a flashlight for the purpose.
âThis is to enable other motorists to see the broken down vehicle in the emergency lane,â he said.
He also suggested that motorists keep a reflective vest to be used at night in the event of a break down.
âIt is good to have such a vest available in the vehicle for emergencies,â he added. â Bernama
