Let's face it, we are bad drivers??? YAU MOU GAU..CHOR!!
320,000 accidents and 6,200 deaths yearly, and a shocking 67 per cent of the accidents caused by human error. Why?
* Drivers with bad attitude
* Outdated driving school syllabus
* Motorists can 'buy a licence'
KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-seven per cent of road accidents this year was due to human error and some guardians of road safety are putting the blame on driving schools for this.
These experts came up with a resolution to improve the driving skills of new drivers at the Road Safety Council’s annual meeting last week.
Among other things, they said driving schools were churning out drivers who only knew how to change gears and drive a car.
Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh said driving schools were focusing too much on the technical aspects of driving.
"New drivers are taught parking, changing gears and other technical aspects."
He said members of the council felt that it was time for driving schools to teach new drivers about defensive driving and road safety.
Most of the accidents this year, which claimed thousands of lives, were due to people beating red lights, overtaking at double lines, speeding, tailgating and not wearing seat belts.
Suret said there was also a need to teach new drivers not to use cell phones while driving.
"It is important to change the attitude of new drivers. They need to know more than just changing gears and driving a car."
He said there were weaknesses in the teaching method and driving schools could help to overcome the problem.
"We need to review teaching methods and include additional safety aspects to reduce human error."
Suret also said the high percentage of human error was contributed by motorcyclists who rode without licences.
"A motorcycle licence costs RM400 and many people avoid applying for one."
He also asked driving schools to reduce the fees to encourage more youth to apply for licences.
Road safety expert Prof Radin Umar Radin Sohadi agreed with Suret. He said driving schools should only send competent students for driving tests.
"If you look at developed countries, new students can only sit the driving test when they are found to be competent in driving."
In Malaysia, a new student is required to take a minimum of eight hours of driving lessons before he can take the driving test.
Furthermore, Radin said driving schools in developed countries had included defensive driving in their curriculum since the 1970s.
"During emergencies, their drivers know how to handle their vehicles. Our drivers do not have defensive driving skills. We do not have defensive driving in our programme."
Last year, there were 6,200 road fatalities and about 320,000 accidents nationwide.
‘Outdated course, short practice hours
produce unskilled drivers’
KUALA LUMPUR: The blame game continues. Driving schools, which are said to be contributing to accidents caused by human error, are in turn blaming it on the outdated driving course produced by the Road Transport Department.
They also feel the minimum requirement of eight hours of driving is insufficient to produce competent drivers.
Malaysian Driving Institutes Association president Datuk Hanafi Mat Zin said driving schools should not be held solely responsible for churning out incompetent drivers.
"How can we produce drivers of calibre within the minimum eight hours?" he asked.
He urged the Transport Ministry to increase the minimum number of driving hours for new learners.
"It will give us time to teach them more things," he added.
However, Pan-Malaysia Lorry Owners Association president Er Sui See said the cost of learning defensive driving and road safety should not be borne by new drivers.
Learners pay between RM800 and RM1,000 for theory and practical tests.
"If the RTD decides to extend the minimum driving hours, the cost should not burden new drivers.
"They should work out a way to ensure that all parties benefit from the driving course," he said.
RTD deputy director Jaafar Mohamed said the department was reviewing the driving course syllabus to include defensive driving and road safety.
"We agree that the course needs to be reviewed to create competent, responsible and skilful drivers," he said.
A source from the Transport Ministry said another factor which contributed to the high percentage of human error was students bribing RTD officers to pass the driving test.
"Some of them pay RTD officers RM200 to pass the test. They are not competent and should not be on the road," he said.
He urged newly-appointed RTD director-general Ahmad Mustapha to reduce corruption within the department.
* Drivers with bad attitude
* Outdated driving school syllabus
* Motorists can 'buy a licence'
KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-seven per cent of road accidents this year was due to human error and some guardians of road safety are putting the blame on driving schools for this.
These experts came up with a resolution to improve the driving skills of new drivers at the Road Safety Council’s annual meeting last week.
Among other things, they said driving schools were churning out drivers who only knew how to change gears and drive a car.
Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh said driving schools were focusing too much on the technical aspects of driving.
"New drivers are taught parking, changing gears and other technical aspects."
He said members of the council felt that it was time for driving schools to teach new drivers about defensive driving and road safety.
Most of the accidents this year, which claimed thousands of lives, were due to people beating red lights, overtaking at double lines, speeding, tailgating and not wearing seat belts.
Suret said there was also a need to teach new drivers not to use cell phones while driving.
"It is important to change the attitude of new drivers. They need to know more than just changing gears and driving a car."
He said there were weaknesses in the teaching method and driving schools could help to overcome the problem.
"We need to review teaching methods and include additional safety aspects to reduce human error."
Suret also said the high percentage of human error was contributed by motorcyclists who rode without licences.
"A motorcycle licence costs RM400 and many people avoid applying for one."
He also asked driving schools to reduce the fees to encourage more youth to apply for licences.
Road safety expert Prof Radin Umar Radin Sohadi agreed with Suret. He said driving schools should only send competent students for driving tests.
"If you look at developed countries, new students can only sit the driving test when they are found to be competent in driving."
In Malaysia, a new student is required to take a minimum of eight hours of driving lessons before he can take the driving test.
Furthermore, Radin said driving schools in developed countries had included defensive driving in their curriculum since the 1970s.
"During emergencies, their drivers know how to handle their vehicles. Our drivers do not have defensive driving skills. We do not have defensive driving in our programme."
Last year, there were 6,200 road fatalities and about 320,000 accidents nationwide.
‘Outdated course, short practice hours
produce unskilled drivers’
KUALA LUMPUR: The blame game continues. Driving schools, which are said to be contributing to accidents caused by human error, are in turn blaming it on the outdated driving course produced by the Road Transport Department.
They also feel the minimum requirement of eight hours of driving is insufficient to produce competent drivers.
Malaysian Driving Institutes Association president Datuk Hanafi Mat Zin said driving schools should not be held solely responsible for churning out incompetent drivers.
"How can we produce drivers of calibre within the minimum eight hours?" he asked.
He urged the Transport Ministry to increase the minimum number of driving hours for new learners.
"It will give us time to teach them more things," he added.
However, Pan-Malaysia Lorry Owners Association president Er Sui See said the cost of learning defensive driving and road safety should not be borne by new drivers.
Learners pay between RM800 and RM1,000 for theory and practical tests.
"If the RTD decides to extend the minimum driving hours, the cost should not burden new drivers.
"They should work out a way to ensure that all parties benefit from the driving course," he said.
RTD deputy director Jaafar Mohamed said the department was reviewing the driving course syllabus to include defensive driving and road safety.
"We agree that the course needs to be reviewed to create competent, responsible and skilful drivers," he said.
A source from the Transport Ministry said another factor which contributed to the high percentage of human error was students bribing RTD officers to pass the driving test.
"Some of them pay RTD officers RM200 to pass the test. They are not competent and should not be on the road," he said.
He urged newly-appointed RTD director-general Ahmad Mustapha to reduce corruption within the department.
posted by SEE FU at 5:34 PM
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