OUMH1103

BUSINESS OF MANAGEMENT
(BIM A7470)

JANUARY 2019 SEMESTER

OUMH1103

LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN DISTANCE LEARNERS

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ARAHAN
 Jangan menyalin soalan dan arahan tugasan dalam jawapan anda.
 Sediakan jawapan tugasan anda mengikut susunan KRITERIA PENILAIAN
(ASSESSMENT CRITERIA) seperti tertunjuk dalam RUBRIK. Jika RUBRIK TIDAK
dibekalkan, ikut arahan/garispanduan yang ditetapkan oleh Open University Malaysia
(OUM) bagi tugasan kursus berkenaan.
 Tugasan anda hendaklah mematuhi bilangan patah perkataan seperti di
dalam arahan soalan tugasan dan TIDAK termasuk rujukan.
 Taipkan jawapan anda dengan menggunakan saiz fon 12 Times New Roman dan
langkau baris 1.5.
 Tunjukkan bilangan perkataan di hujung tugasan anda.
 Jadual dan gambar rajah jika ada, hendaklah menunjukkan tajuk yang wajar.
 Senaraikan secara berasingan, rujukan/referensi dalam muka surat APENDIKS.
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FATAL ROAD ACCIDENTS IN MALAYSIA

INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, it is common for us to see an accident being reported on the news daily.
Based on statistics by the Ministry of Transportation Malaysia, there were 6,740 deaths
caused by road accidents in 2017 (Ministry of Transport [MoT], 2018, p.13). The reports
also showed that motorcars were the highest number of vehicle type involved in road
accidents with 564,491 cases followed by motorcycles with 108,221 accidents (MoT, 2018,
p.12). The statistics also revealed that the high fatal road accidents is likely to occur in urban
areas such as Selangor (1,087) and Johor (1,067) (MoT, 2018, p.17). The alarming number of
deaths in road accidents can be minimize by identifying the main factors that cause it and
providing methods on how to prevent it.

CAUSE AND SOLUTION TO FATAL ROAD ACCIDENTS

1. CAUSES

1.1 DRIVERS’ BEHAVIOUR

Fatal road accidents are mainly contributed by drivers’ behaviour (Nazatul Soleha,
n.d.). Drivers’ carelessness towards road safety and traffic laws has resulted in the
high number of deaths in Malaysia. According to the Transport Department of the
Government of Jharkhand (n.d.), over-speeding, drunken driving and redlight
jumping are common causes of road accidents. Also, distractions to the driver
while driving, such as using mobile phone, adjusting the mirrors, tuning the radio
and the presence of animals and billboards on the road, reduce the concentration
of the driver, thus increasing the risks for an accident to occur.

1.2 POOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

Mechanical failure due to poor vehicle maintenance contributes to a high risk of
road accidents. Burst and bald tyres are the most common type of mechanical
failure which will make the driver lose control of the vehicle and slip accidentally,
especially in bad weather condition. Signal light malfunction will result in other
drivers failing to determine where you are going, thus high potential of an

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accident. Meanwhile, brake failure is the major factor for rear-end collision, due to
the vehicle’s inability to stop on time, thus hitting the car in front.

1.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR

According to Nazatul Soleha (n.d.), environmental factors also contributed to the
high statistics of fatal road accidents in Malaysia. She stated that environmental
factors such as lack of street lamps on the road reduce driver’s eyesight capability
at night, thus increasing the risk of accidents. Bad and curvy roadway design
creates a blind spot for the driver’s visibility, thus increasing the risk of accidents.
Bad weather conditions such as heavy rain cause limited vision for the driver and
slippery roads for users.

2. PREVENTION METHOD

2.1 SAFETY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

According to Ministry of Transport [MoT] (n.d.), introducing Road Safety
Education (RSE) at primary and secondary schools will educate road safety
awareness to people from childhood. Implementing road safety awareness through
online and offline mediums would reduce the index of fatal road accidents. Other
than that, implementing the Automated Enforcement System (AES) continuously
is expected to reduce users speeding on the road, especially in areas with high rate
of accidents (MoT, n.d.).

2.2 HIGHER VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD

Based on the manual produced by the Road Safety Department of Malaysia (RSD)
(2014), implementing higher technical standards for vehicle, such as the United
Nations Vehicle Type Approval, decreasing risk of vehicle malfunction. It is also
stated that enforcing high standards of vehicle component and safety vehicle law
would be another alternative that is beneficial for the future. Installation of
airbags, antilock brakes system (ABS), traction and stability control, blind-spot
warning, backup camera and tyre-pressure monitors is good safety features in a
vehicle (Consumer Reports, 2016). Frequent inspection on the condition of the
vehicle would certainly reduce the risk of an accident.

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2.3 PROVIDE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE
Based on the manual published by the Road Safety Department Malaysia (2014),
another plan to improve road safety is by providing good maintenance
infrastructure for road users from issues such as impurities on the road and traffic
lights failure. It also indicate the plan to separate road users between
motorcyclists and vehicle users for more safety and improving safety audit and
traffic law programs for road users.

CONCLUSION

High number of fatal road accidents in Malaysia is mainly due to drivers’ attitude,
poor vehicle maintenance and environmental factors. Collaboration between government and
citizens can reduce the risk of accidents by spreading road safety awareness and
implementing high standards of vehicle safety while maintaining excellent road infrastructure
for the users.
(727 words)

REFERENCES

Ministry of Transport Malaysia. (2018). Transport statistics Malaysia 2017. Putrajaya,

Malaysia: Author.

Road Safety Department of Malaysia. (2014). Road safety plan of Malaysia 2014-2020.
Putrajaya, Malaysia: Ministry of Transport Malaysia.

Transport Department Government of Jharkhand. (n.d.). Causes of road accidents.

Retrieved from http://jhtransport.gov.in/causes-of-road-accidents.html

Nazatul Soleha. (n.d.). Faktor-faktor penyebab kemalangan jalan raya [PDF Document].
Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/32327929/Faktor_Kemalangan_Jalan_Raya

Nurul Hidayah Bahaudin. (2018, October 8). Pemandu lawan arus direman. MyMetro
[web log]. Retrieved from
https://www.hmetro.com.my/mutakhir/2018/10/384481/pemandu-lawan-arus-direman

Lawman Law Firm. (2011, April 28). Top 5 mechanical failures that cause car accidents.
Retrieved from https://www.lowmanlawfirm.com/blog/bid/63142/top-5-mechanical-
failures-that-cause-car-accidents

Ministry of Transport Malaysia. (n.d.) Index of accidental road death. Retrieved from
http://www.mot.gov.my/en/lands/public%20safety-roads/statistics-accidents-jalan-
raya-index-death
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Consumer Reports. (2016, June). Guide to car safety features. Retrieved from
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/guide-to-safety-features/index.htm