Reckless motorists in Malaysia risk being caned and face mandatory jail terms as the country launches a massive campaign to stop it's roads from becoming "rivers of death".
Malaysian police are also adopting a semantic approach to educating motorists on the dangers of reckless driving after numerous safety campaigns have failed to reduce road fatalities. An accident will no longer be called an accident. Instead, it will be described as a crash "to emphasize the seriousness of motor vehicle accidents". The traffic chief, Supian Amat, said the word accident was "deemed inappropriate".
"Often, people attribute accidents to fate, whereas the use of the word crash connotes a deliberate, negative act," he said. But Mr. Supian did not explain how the point would be got across in Malay, the national language. Malay does not have a word exactly conveying the imagery of the English word crash and the police are likely to run into criticism from traditionalists who fiercely guard the dominant role of Bahasa Melayu, the national language, against foreign encroachments.
Police chief Rahim Noor also said that the police wanted to liaise with the attorney-general's chambers to introduce stiffer penalties, including mandatory imprisonment and caning to curb reckless driving and reduce fatal accidents.
The New Straits Times quoted the inspector-general as saying that existing laws would be amended "to instill fear among errant motorists".
Harsher penalties will strike fear into road users, forcing them to be careful while education can promote greater community awareness about road safety, the transport ministry said. The review will also include steps to hasten the disposal of traffic cases by the courts as there is a large backlog of such cases.
Under a police operation held during festive celebrations this year, 12,294 accidents were recorded, an increase of 21 per cent from last year. More than 200 people were killed in the crashes.