SARAWAK recorded 17,847 road accidents in the first ten months of this year, demonstrating the urgent need for collective responsibility to improve road safety across the state.
According to the Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin, the statistics provided by the police showed that the 17,847 road accidents included 213 minor crashes, 110 serious accidents and 305 fatal cases.
“Between January and October, 749 people were injured, with 336 fatalities, 154 serious injuries, and 259 minor injuries.
“These statistics are alarming, and they show that road safety is not the responsibility of one party alone.
“Every individual must play their part to save lives,” he said during his winding-up speech at the DUN today.
He added that cars accounted for more than half of all the cases, followed by four-wheel-drive vehicles and motorcycles, with Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu topping the list of accident-prone areas.
“Speeding, loss of control, rear-end collisions and side-impact crashes at intersections are still the main causes.
“This clearly highlights that road safety can only be achieved when we all work together to raise awareness on safe driving behaviour,” he said.
He said his Ministry has intensified collaboration with the Sarawak Road Safety Council, police, JPJ Sarawak, JKR Sarawak and other agencies, to curb rising risks.
“Festive seasons see a sharp increase in travel. Our campaigns aim to reach as many road users as possible, reminding them that safety begins with awareness and discipline.
“Road safety campaigns this year were held in Sarikei, Miri, Mukah, and Bintulu, with more planned in Betong and Serian for Christmas,” he added.
Lee underscored the importance of education, saying that the Sarawak Traffic Games (STG) has been expanded to Sarikei, Kuching, Sibu, Sri Aman and Bintulu.
“Education remains a critical component in raising road safety awareness, particularly among school students,” he said.
To address accidents involving commercial vehicles, Lee shared that the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) Sarawak has begun phased enforcement of mandatory Speed Limitation Devices (SLD).
“Under this policy, heavy goods and commercial passenger vehicles will be required to install approved speed-limiting devices capped at 90 kilometres per hour when applying for licences, with the requirement extended to older, pre-2015 vehicles from Jan 1 next year.
“To support this transition, industry players who have yet to install the device will be granted only a one-year licence by the CVLB Sarawak until full compliance is achieved.
“This measure is a crucial step in strengthening road safety and building a safer and more responsible transport system in Sarawak,” he said.
Furthermore, Lee said a strengthened seat belt policy for express and tour buses also came into force on July 1 this year.
However, Lee said the fatal accident on Oct 21 occurred on a straight section of road and remains under police investigation.
“Warning signs and traffic measures are already in place. We urge all road users to obey speed limits and signage for their own safety,” he said.
