JOHOR BARU, March 28 — Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said negligence was the leading cause of 97 per cent of accidents recorded during last year’s Op Selamat campaign in the state.
He noted that the remaining 3 per cent were due to technical factors such as vehicle malfunctions and road conditions.
“Despite a 19.5 per cent drop in accident rates during festive seasons over the past two years, motorists are still urged to remain vigilant due to a surge in traffic, which has increased two to threefold.
“This issue is not solely the responsibility of road safety enforcement agencies like the police, but a shared responsibility.
“We (police) are here to help ensure motorists’ safety. I urge the public to always practise patience, tolerance, and caution while travelling on the road,” he told reporters today.
Earlier, he officiated the Johor police’s road safety advocacy programme with the state’s Social Security Organisation (Socso) in conjunction with Op Selamat 24, launched ahead of this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the Perling Toll Plaza.
During last year’s Op Selamat for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, a total of 1,069 accidents were reported, including 12 fatal cases that resulted in 14 deaths.
For this year’s campaign, Kumar said police had identified 47 major congestion hotspots and 36 accident-prone routes across Johor.
“The police will continue working with other agencies through the Emergency Response Team (ERT), which provides rapid assistance on highways and expressways,” he said.
Meanwhile, Plus Malaysia Berhad (Plus) engineer Mohd Khairul Kamarudin said about two million vehicles are expected to enter and exit Johor throughout the festive period.
He said traffic volume had already tripled from normal levels starting today and was expected to remain high until April 3.
