~ BorNeO BuLLeTiN ~
~ 13/03/2012 ~
A total of 10 people - eight Bruneians and two foreigners - have died in road accidents so far this year. And the authorities have identified the negative attitude or behaviour of drivers as one of the main factors contributing to the accidents.
Of the total fatalities, five of the victims were under the age of 35, Hj Joharry Hj Abd Karim, Head of Road Safety Unit, Ministry of Communications said at a press conference, also attended by Awg Rafitra bin Hj Abd Razak, Acting Senior Executive Engineer, Road Maintenance Section of PWD, yesterday at the Ministry of Communications building.
Five of the 10 victims were not wearing seat belts during the accidents, Hj Joharry added.
He said that most of the accidents recorded in the country were mainly caused by speeding, not following road signs such as "No U-Turn" sign as well as a lack of knowledge of safe driving. He said that "engineering" factors related to road infrastructure are not the main cause of road accidents.
Though the authorities believe that there are roads which are uneven or have potholes, the modifications made to vehicles such as steering size and big tyres that do not follow the original vehicle specifications can affect the drivers' ability to control the vehicle, he said.
Bald or unsuitable tyres can also contribute to road accidents, he said. Hj Joharry urged all road users to drive with extra care as well as to respect other road users. They should also drive carefully during rainy days and at night, he said. "Give top priority to road safety while driving."
Motorists must change any negative attitude or behaviour as well as be more responsible while on the roads, he said.
"Always obey traffic rules and regulations to avoid road accidents," he said.
He said there are many factors that can cause road accidents.
"However, until now we can't find the real facts. There are (various) factors related to it (accident) that include environment, engineering (road condition) and vehicle condition such as modification."
"But, what is clear is the (driver) behavioural factor," he said.
The Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council (BDRSC) under the Ministry of Communications has regularly reminded drivers of the importance of following road traffic rules and regulations.
He said among the offences often linked to the causes of road accidents are the use of mobile phone while driving, not wearing seat belt, ignoring traffic lights, especially red light, tailgating, road bullying, speeding and careless overtaking of other vehicles.
He said that wearing a seat belt is a must for the driver and front passenger under the Road Traffic Act (Chapter 68) Motor Vehicles (Seat Belts) Regulations, 1988, which has been enforced since July 1988.
He said in the corresponding period up to the end of March last year, 10 road accident deaths were also recorded, just like the 10 fatalities as of March 10 this year.
"The statistics are very worrying to all parties," he said, adding that some of those killed in the accidents were under the age of 35. He added that measures have been implemented in stages by government agencies, especially Royal Brunei Police Force, Public Works Department, Land Transport Department and Ministry of Communications, to prevent road accidents.
Awg Rafitra highlighted the measures under the Brunei Darussalam Road Safety Council to upgrade road safety in Kg Rimba and surrounding areas, especially Kg Rimba National Housing area which has been identified as a road accident-prone area. The authority is putting in place "double lines" to indicate "No Overtaking" from both directions of traffic along the two-lane single carriageway.
The authority has also set up speed limit signs (50km/h), sharp deviation signs at road bends, additional guardrails at "critical" locations, speed "humps" near junctions, "Khalimah" signs and additional night illuminators (cat's eyes).
No comments:
Post a Comment