Starting on the 1st January 2009, there is new rule for all backseat passengers to wear rear seatbelt. This is due to the statistic shown by the Malaysian Road Safety Department (JKJR) which state most of the victims during accidents among cars are the backseat passenger themselves. Unfortunately, there are some flaws in the rule itself and this article would look what are the flaws and the affect towards the people.
Since nowadays cars are equipped with backseat rear seatbelt, they are to abide with the new road safety rule. But cars which are already registered before 1st January 1995 are being exempted due to the fact that all of these cars are not equip with back seatbelt. Thus, the government gives three years to the car owner to set up the back seatbelt.
According to the Road Transport Department (JPJ) based on their database in the year of 2008, there are just twenty-percent old cars left on the roads. Meaning, from 3.9 millions cars on the street, 780 000 cars out there need to set up back seat belt by their owners. In other words, they have to spend some money for putting up the seat belt which actually involves high cost. Most of the owners of the old car are actually employed with medium source of income. Hence, by having them to put up the rear seatbelt using their money, they actually have cut off the expenses such as groceries and their other life’s expenses; not to mention if they already have a family. It would be a total burden to them.
Malaysians are notoriously being known for their ignorance attitude. Since the implementation of the rule will be prosecute three years for their car, they would just ignore the rule since they have lots of time to spare for them to put up the rear seatbelt. And when the time that has been given is already up, they would tend to give excuses if ever the old car that they use being caught by the authority.
In the rule, there is a phrase saying that since the number of the rear seatbelt which being set up at the backseat are only limited for three unit. Hence, the fourth passenger is being exempted from the rule. But when we refer back to the statistic provided by JKJR stating that the backseat passengers have the high percentage of self-risk when accident occur.
But by exempting the fourth passenger, we actually putting their life at stake where as the main purpose of us to have the new rule is that to ensure the backseat passengers life are safe. By looking at this point, the rule itself will eventually return back to square one.
This flaw of this exemption leads to another thing which is a burden to big family. Apparently, even tough the fourth passenger is being exempted from the rule but he or she will be fine on the offence of “over-loading”. Same goes to the other excess passenger whom riding along. Since cars have a limit number of passengers, it actually troubles the big family especially when they have many children.
Besides facing the risk of being given fine for over-loading, they need to reconsider to which of their sons or daughters that will follow them and which children need to be leave at home. Hence, it will be a problem especially when the family wants to go back to their village during festive season. They just can’t leave their other children behind just because the law said so. There would be security issues of the children themselves staying at the house and the cost that involve if the parents want to buy a new vehicle.
Plus, the new rule does not state the age for the backseat passenger whom are eligible to the rule. By the definition of the rule stating that “all backseat passenger must wear a seatbelt”, all of the passenger; putting aside their age; must obligate to the rule including toddlers. But the situation now is that toddlers are not big enough to use rear seatbelt. Instead, the parents need to buy a special seat for the toddlers which will cost them a lot especially if the parents are middle-income employee.
But from all the flaws that has been mentioned, it does not equal with the other flaws in which the new rule only being implemented to private cars. But for the commercial vehicle such as taxi, bus etc. This is the flaw of double standard being given by the JKJR because the number of express bus which involved in accidents is increasing year by year. Plus, the capacity of passengers in the bus compared to a car is much more. So by giving a double-standard towards the private vehicles, this would make things much worst.
Lastly, the implementation of the new rule will instill unnecessary fear into public. This is because the fine for the passenger whom do not obligate to the rule are at least cost them RM400. If they do not comply with the fine by paying it, the JKJR would then bring the matter to the court and the passenger will be charge. If the passenger is found guilty, he or she will be in prison at least for two years or being penalize RM2000 or both.
But what if the passenger that is being charge is still a teenager? Aren’t we have our lesson when the court sent a 17 years old teenager for did not going to the National Service? If the new rule is still being implemented throughout the year, eventually the number of fouls being made by the teenagers will increase and eventually, the police record of the teenagers will exist. It will make a bad impression towards them especially concerning about their future. This is also would contradict the actual reason for the rule itself. It is to educate the citizen on the importance of rear seatbelt not instilling fear.
From all the flaws that has been mentioned above, it would be likely if the new rule are being reconsider and to be revise again because it brings more bad affect especially towards the middle-income family and big family. Hence, by doing so, it would ensure that the passengers are not just gain the benefit from the rule but also to make sure that there is no abuse towards them
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