KUALA LUMPUR – The United Nations (UN) has called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the federal government to be serious about saving lives on the road by making road safety the top agenda.
“Malaysia has been making big steps in road safety and making some progress but still, I am really relying on this new government to put road safety at the top of their agenda,” said the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for road safety Datuk Seri Jean Todt.
In an exclusive interview with The Vibes, the global road safety icon also urged Malaysia to embrace a strong commitment to enforcing relevant laws in order to address the high rates of road fatalities and reduce the number of crashes.
“There’s no point in having the laws if you do not enforce them sometimes.
“Yes, the law is out there and they need to be enforced.”
“You (government) may not be popular but at the end of the day, you will become popular because you have saved lives on the road,” he said, adding that strict enforcement should also be supported with education.
“Malaysia (situation) was almost similar to several European countries and Australia some 30 or 40 years ago until they decided to put road safety on top of their agenda and address it,” said Todt.
Born in February, 1946, in Pierrefort, in central France, Todt grew up in Bezons, located in the west of Paris. At the age of 19, he took up the role of a rally co-driver for 17 years as he was good with organisational and strategic skills.
Acknowledging that Malaysia has better road infrastructures than other countries in the region, Todt said it is important for the country to implement effective speed limit monitoring and boost enforcement in other areas.
“Also increase enforcement activities for people to use seat belts in front and rear (seats), take action against driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and distracted driving such as texting while driving.
“We must not forget that road crashes, fatalities and injuries can cause huge losses to a country’s gross domestic product, hitting 3% to 5%. So, if the government is serious about road safety, it will result in fewer road traffic victims and decrease cost for the government.”
Based on police records, a total of 168,659 road deaths and more than a million injuries have been sustained from road crashes in Malaysia since 1995. This is an average of 6,486 lives lost annually or 19 killed every day.
As of August last year, for every 100 road deaths, 70 were motorcycle users.
Scrutinising Malaysia’s effort
Apparently, in the past week, including while celebrating Christmas in the capital city, the former supremo of Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile has been studying the level of road safety efforts in Malaysia.
“In my capacity as UN special envoy, I have to work hard so that you don’t lose the momentum,” said Todt, who has lost friends in road mayhem.
In #Malaysia ?? with the @UN team. Road crashes declined by 11.5% in 2021 in the country. Some results are already visible but it's crucial to keep working jointly with the government & @UNinMalaysia to meet the #roadsafety 2030 targets. #50by30 pic.twitter.com/5QRsGEYUYw
— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt) December 20, 2022
Last Thursday, at a meeting with Transport Minister Anthony Loke, he suggested several steps to the ministry including engaging strong voices in the community to support the efforts to save lives on the roads.
“Engaging and appointing influencers were among the things we discussed. The meeting was very comprehensive and he (Loke) was very motivated to go to the next step and to achieve it,” he said.
He took the opportunity to highlight the importance of empowering the Road Safety Council of Malaysia and forming a high-level committee at the cabinet level.
“I also spoke that Malaysia is divided into 14 states and each state should put road safety on top of the agenda with strong teams within the state and federal government.
“With leadership from the transport minister together with the health minister, interior (home) minister, education minister and commitment from the prime minister and the king, everybody should try to guide for safer roads,” he explained.
PUTRAJAYA, 22 Disember 2022: YB Loke Siew Fook, Menteri Pengangkutan, hari ini telah menerima kunjungan hormat daripada YBhg. Datuk Seri Jean Todt, Wakil Khas kepada Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) bagi Keselamatan Jalan Raya. @JeanTodt pic.twitter.com/HNhBvxwSU0
— M.O.T Malaysia (@MOTMalaysia) December 22, 2022
However, the former chief executive officer of Ferrari asserted that the government should not be shouldering the responsibility alone.
“It is also the responsibility of the private sector including the big companies such as Petronas who should be more active to support and address road safety. The media also has a big role to play by informing and alerting people as well as guiding people,” he added.
Todt, who is one of the founders of L’Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, which is devoted to medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders, has praised Malaysia for its good quality in post-crash care.
He endorsed the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research’s (Miros) role to foster better road safety intervention.
“On the good side in Malaysia, you have an institute called Miros which is very efficient. Malaysia was also present at the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety two years ago in Stockholm and last July at the UN high-level meeting.”
He said Miros positioned itself well in the region including pushing for the anti-brake locking system (ABS) as part of standard safety features for motorcycles.
In May, Malaysia announced that the law will be amended within two years to push for the compulsory installation of ABS for all new motorcycles with 150cc engine capacity and above and later to be expanded to “kapcai” (underbone) models.
It was reported that the ABS may assist in reducing crashes and fatalities involving motorcyclists by 30%.
“Malaysia is taking the lead on the ABS agenda in South East Asia and middle-income countries, and (it has) more opportunity than a lot of neighbouring countries in the region,” he said.
“Since the high-level meeting in UN headquarters, I have been visiting Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and now Malaysia. We speak about the situation with a clear understanding that some improvement needs to be done. We don’t want to lose momentum.
“One country from another one, you can see a different attitude. It’s daily work, and everybody who is involved in addressing road safety must commit to that,” he added.
From data gathered by the World Health Organisation, road traffic injuries are the global number one cause of death for those aged five to 29 and the eighth leading cause of death overall.
Every day, an estimated 3,700 people are killed on the road around the world or 1.35 million annually. Another 50 million people are seriously injured in crashes each year, with many left crippled and unable to work. – The Vibes, December 28, 2022
