The rear seat belt ruling is considered a burden for those who were driving a car without one. But those who had been summoned can cancel their summon.
Read the full article ‘Rear seat belt summons can be cancelled’ from BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR: Rear passengers in vehicles not fitted with rear seat belts but who were summoned by the police or the Road Transport Deprtment (RTD) can report to the Road Safety Department (JKJR) to have their summonses cancelled.
JKJR director-general Datuk Suret Singh said issuing summonses to rear passengers in vehicles not fitted with rear seat belts was against the ruling announced by his department early this year.
He said he had received information of several such cases in Johor Baharu and Penang and said this may have happened due to misunderstanding of instructions issued to RTD and police personnel.
“We are saddened as the issuing of summonses does not follow the policy announced by JKJR.
“Those affected can report to the department and we promise to have the summonses cancelled,” Suret Singh told reporters after launching the 2009 Chinese New Year road safety advocation campaign on Friday.
He said, for now, only rear passengers in vehicles with rear seat belts but who do not use them will be summoned and that JKJR had given vehicle owners three years to get rear seat belts fitted.
“However, people are reminded to have rear seat belts fitted as soon as possible for their own and their family’s safety,” he said.
Suret also said 100,000 old model Kancil cars would be given exemption stickers as they did not have the three ‘points’ that were needed to fit rear seat belts.
On another note, he said JKJR with the cooperation of the RTD and the Road Safety Marshall Club (RSMC) would help motorcycle riders who did not have licenses, especially in rural areas, to obtain them.
“Many have failed their tests many times so we will help them to get through,” he said.
Those interested can go to www.rsmc.org.my for more information, he said.
In another development, Suret Singh said, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, the speed limit for federal roads would be decreased to 80km/h from 90km/h and for state roads it would be decreased to 70km/h from 80km/h from Jan 19 till Feb 2.
“A ‘Operasi Bersepadu’ over 15 days beginning Jan 19 will be conducted involving 1,200 RTD staff and 5,000 police personnel,” he said.
He said the operation would involve several intervention programmes on road safety like the monitoring of express buses and drivers at 28 locations throughout the country.
Jom komen!