James Kon
From January to June 2020, six road fatalities occurred in Brunei Darussalam, as a result of not wearing a seatbelt.
This year has also seen an increase in the use of mobile phones while driving, with 24 cases recorded from January to July, compared to 15 in 2019.
There were also 14 cases of failing to use seatbelts from January to July 2020, which is an increase from the 11 cases recorded in 2019.
These worrying figures were revealed by Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof during the official launching of the pilot project to replace speed warning devices (SWDs) under the Road Traffic Regulations (Motor Vehicle: speed warning device), 2002, held yesterday at the Ministry of Transport and Info-communications (MTIC).
The minister said, “I would like to stress once again, the importance of jointly carrying out our social responsibility in maintaining our own safety, as well as that of our loved ones and other road users, while also protecting government property on roads.”
On related road safety issues, he said, “There has been an increase in the number of vehicles catching fire. This is indeed a matter for concern. I was made to understand that up to August this year, 54 incidences of vehicle fire were recorded.
“According to initial investigations carried out by agencies in 2019 and 2020, mechanical and electrical problems are among the main causes of vehicle fires.
“In the efforts made by the MTIC and National Road Safety Council (MKKJR) to tackle the issue, a study was conducted to obtain more in-depth information on the incidences of vehicle fire. The study covered the 54 vehicle fires which occurred this year, and it is my hope that the findings will lead to vigorous improvements in policies and regulations to curb the rise of vehicle fires.”
Regarding the launching of the pilot project, he said, “Alhamdulillah, this pilot project will display and show the public the latest technologies being used for the transportation sector. In this context, not only is modern technology capable of monitoring vehicle speed, but also the behaviour of drivers, in the efforts to further enhance the road safety system as a whole.”