Eleven road deaths in Keningau in five months
KENINGAU:
Eleven road deaths in 212 accidents were recorded in the district in the first five months this year. Bingkor Assemblyman Justin Guka, who revealed this yesterday, said nine other people were seriously injured and 11 were slightly injured. The number of accidents during the period represents a 12 percent drop from the 243 cases in the same period last year, he told a press conference after launching the Kaamatan Festival Road Safety and Rear Seat Safety Belt campaigns here. Present at the function were District Police Chief, DSP Zahari Mohammad, State Road Safety Department Director, Herdianshah Abdul Karim; Road Transportation Department Enforcement Chief, Sharul Nizam Mohd Yatim; Assistant District Officer, Ash Sulaiman, District Chief, OKK Mohd Amir Datuk Arif; Heads of State and Federal Departments and local community leaders. Justin, who said the fatalities involved motorcycle riders, motorists and a pedestrian, advised road users to be more responsible when driving on the road. “Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol and when feeling sleepy because it is too dangerous for them and other road users,” he said. Meanwhile, Herdianshah Abdul Karim said the regulation requiring backseat passengers to use safety belt will only be enforced in September this year and it is only for the private vehicle passengers. Vehicle owners will be given three years to fix the backseat belts after it was enforced, and it must be done through the dealers from which the vehicles were bought and not at any accessories shops, he said. However, he added, vehicles registered before 1995 would be exempted from this requirement.
