Despite the dangers of using dummy seatbelt buckles, there are still those that continue to do so. As reported by Bernama, Negeri Sembilan road transport department (JPJ) director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf said this is a worrying trend as it poses a serious safety risk.
According to him, the highest number of notices issued during a special Chinese New Year operation was for not wearing seatbelts. Out of 195 offences recorded, over 30% were found to be using dummy seatbelt buckles which are designed to silence the sound of the seatbelt reminder system in cars. Those who committed the offence have been fined RM300, reports Sinar Harian.
“We found over 30% of drivers prefer to wear the dummy buckle to silence the sound of the seatbelt reminder, and their excuse is that it (the seat belt) is uncomfortable or that they forgot… but that is a major offence because it can result in severe injury or death in the event of a road crash,” said Hanif.
The widespread use of the dangerous accessory is enabled by its easy availability, with vehicle accessory shops or convenience stores selling different versions at relatively affordable prices. A quick check on online marketplaces revealed dummy seatbelt buckles can be bought for well under RM10.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) revealed 12.9% of 326 respondents admitted to using dummy buckles. It also pointed out that the use of such devices offers zero protection to occupants that the seatbelt won’t hold you in place in the event of a crash. Additionally, dummy buckles will cause airbags to be ineffective and unrestrained passengers can become deadly projectiles in a crash.
During the special CNY operation, Negeri Sembilan JPJ inspected 12,138 vehicles, with 2,508 having action taken against them for various offences. Offences related to vehicles saw the highest number of notices at 2,027, followed by technical irregularities (1,880 notices) and driver licences (1,419 notices).
From the 6,630 offences recorded, about 424 notices were issued for major offences, with seatbelt-related offences being the highest at 195 notices. This is followed by disobeying traffic lights (113 notices) and using a mobile phone while driving (57 notices).
Hanif also said his department found there were still drivers of heavy vehicles who continuously used the right lane on the highway. In the operation where officers impersonated bus passengers, 31 out of 131 summonses issued were for said offence. Two out of 341 bus drivers also tested positive for methamphetamine use.
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