KyO's NeWs - 14 Hrs ComPuLsoRy LeSSoNs aT DRiVinG ScHooLs

~ BorNeO BuLLeTiN ~

~ 25/01/2012 ~

Dato Paduka Haji Awg Alaihuddin, Abdul Mutalib and Director of JPD visiting the road accident area in Lumut.

Speeding could not only bring danger to oneself but also to other road users, thus the public is being urged to drive patiently and respect other road users without overtaking in a risky manner. Following the tragic loss of life in last Sunday evening's six-car collision and the overall rate of road accidents and fatalities recently, members of the Brunei Road Safety Council led by its Chairman, Dato Paduka Hj Awang Alaihuddin bin Pehin OKDSL Dato Seri Utama Hj Awang Mohammad Taha, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, inspected the area where the six-car collision occurred.

Among those in the entourage included Awg Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin OKSS Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Yusof, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications.

In an interview, Dato Paduka Hj Awang Alaihuddin expressed his concern over the road accident fatalities.

"Our visit to this area is to look into the reason behind the accident; either it happened because of behavioural factor, or was because of the road design or other factors. Road safety is very important," he said.

Dato Hj Awang Alaihuddin believed that from the explanation given to him, speeding was the cause of the six-car collision Sunday evening.
According to him, all those involved in the collision wore safety belts, therefore the council, he said, would like to establish a reason on how the youth died.

He also urged driving schools in the country to solve the problem of defensive driving, and urged the schools to stress on the importance of road ethics.

The Permanent Secretary said 14 hours of compulsory lessons at driving schools would be enforced soon.

The Chairman of Brunei Road Safety Council said awareness must be strengthened and asked other stakeholders including the private sector to help bring greater awareness among the public.

Dato Paduka Hj Awang Alaihuddin said by April this year a pilot project on De-Merit System will be undertaken.

The main objective of the system is to help reduce road accidents. It involves de-merit points for traffic violations, including those committed during accidents. Scoring high on the De-Merit system could lead to suspension of driving licences.

Dato Paduka Hj Awang Alaihuddin also believed CCTV cameras or speed-traps could help reduce road violations, however, the matter is under police jurisdiction. He hoped both could be integrated with the De-Merit System to strengthen its effectiveness.