1. Introduction
Drink driving has recently become a hot topic again in Malaysia,
following a spate of fatal road accidents involving drivers suspected of
driving while intoxicated with alcohol.
The Malaysian government has pledged to introduce new laws with
harsher punishments
1. How many deaths did drink driving accidents cause in recent
years?
-Since the peak of 237 deaths in 2016, the number has fallen to 58
in 2017 and 54 in 2018. For the eight-year period from 2011 to
2018, a total of 1,147 people lost their lives in drink driving
accidents in Malaysia.
GRAF
- Malay Mail's tally shows that 2,281 individuals were affected by
drink driving accidents in Malaysia from 2011 to 2018. About half
of them died, and about half suffered serious or minor injuries.
2. It's part of a bigger problem
- Transport accidents are actually a top killer of Malaysians in
Malaysia. Around one million more vehicles have been added
every year since 2006.
- The number of deaths recorded every year as a result of road
accidents in Malaysia has since decreased from the 2016 peak to
6,740 deaths in 2017, 6,284 ( 2018) and 6,167 ( 2019)
2. GRAF
- Fatality rate has steadily gone down every year except for a
marginal increase in 2016. This takes place against a backdrop of
the number of registered vehicles in Malaysia going up from 21.4
million (2011) to 31.2 million ( 2019) Home Ministry's statistics
show theNumber of road accidents has been growing steadily
during the same period.
3. More than one thing to blame
- Drink driving is not identified as a top cause of fatal road
accidents in Malaysia, according to official data. Top five causes
for fatal accidents during the 2016-2018 period are: vehicles that
crashed on their own, eating into other lanes, not seeing or
noticing animals, objects or other vehicles in front or beside the
vehicle in the same direction.
- "Drunk/drugs" accounted for just 20 of the 18,705 fatal road
accidents recorded during the 2016-2018 period. Top sixth to
tenth cause are staying close to another vehicle (1,025), U-turns,
turning back the vehicle or crossings (769), going against the
traffic flow (708) "Drunk/drugs" accounted for just 20 of the
18,705 fatal road accidents recorded during the 2016-2018
period. Top sixth to tenth cause are staying close to another
vehicle (1,025), U-turns, turning back the vehicle or crossings
(769), going against the traffic flow (708)
4. What about the number of arrests?
3. - Malaysian police arrested 3,992 motorists for drink driving
between 2018 to May 2020. Majority of those arrested had
alcohol levels in their body beyond the limits allowed under the
law. 70 drink driving accidents were recorded in the 2018-May
2020 period.
- When broken down, this would be 25 drink driving accidents in 2018
(comprising 11 deaths, 14 involving injuries); 23 drink driving
accidents in 2019 (nine deaths, 14 injuries); 22 drink driving
accidents in just the first five months of 2020 or almost the same as
the entire 12 months last year (nine deaths, 13 injuries for January-
May 2020).
5. What has been done so far? Where do we go from here?
- Parliamentary replies in 2017 and 2018 show the government's
regulatory efforts on the alcohol industry in general. Banning the
sale of alcohol of those aged below 21, requiring alcohol to be
displayed separately from other food items in stores, and health
warning labels on alcohol packaging and display racks.
- Both the Transport Ministry and the prime minister have recently
said the laws regarding drink driving would be amended to impose
heavier penalties, while the minister in charge of law Datuk
Takiyuddin Hassan spoke of various measures to be taken including
proposals to have fatal drink driving cases also prosecuted under
the Penal Code under offences such as intentionally causing of
death.
