Phone-driving in Malaysia

The use of handphones while driving has for many years been
a no-no yet many people are still doing it. The Star is today
highlighting the offence.

Chatty drivers get a wake-up call from police
BY PARVEEN GILL

KUALA LUMPUR: Although it is common knowledge that using
a handphone while driving is an offence, Malaysians do not seem
to be bothered. Despite the fact that most people know it is
dangerous, more are being caught talking on their cellphones
while driving.

The police issued more than 47,000 summonses for the offence
last year.

“It’s dangerous but people still do it,” said Internal Security and
Public Order Director Comm Datuk Othman Talib, who is also
in charge of the traffic division. And the excuses given by
offenders are often ludicrous, he said.

“They even claim that they were actually using battery-operated
shavers and not their phones. “Among the popular excuses is that
their bosses were calling them and they had no choice but to
answer the call or risk losingtheir jobs,” he told

The Star in an interview yesterday. He said most of the motorists
were caught in the cities and described the 14.6% increase over
the last two years as serious.

“This is startling because there have been no operations launched
against such offences but the number of summonses issued for
using cellphones while driving is higher than summonses issued
for overtaking on double lines.

“Last year, 47,247 people were caught using their cellphones
without their hands-free kits, while 31,173 were caught over-
taking on double lines,” he said, adding that an average of 129
people were caught using cellphones while driving daily.

Comm Othman added that some car drivers and motorcyclists
were ignorant of the law. For instance, pressing the answer button
on a hands-free kit to receive a call is an offence, he said.

Under the law, the moment a driver moves his limbs to do
something other than controlling the vehicle, the driver is deemed
notto have proper control of the vehicle.

“Even pulling over by the road shoulder or emergency lane to
answer a phone call is an offence.

“I would like to warn all motor vehicle users, who are fond of
talking on their cellphones without hands-free kits to obey the
law because policemen are not going to be lenient anymore,”
he added.

Road Safety Department director-general Suret Singh supported
Comm Othman’s view.

“Drivers and riders should never under any circumstances,
endanger their life and the lives of others,” said Suret Singh.
He added that research in Britain have proven that a split second
distraction is more often than not the cause of road accidents.

Common excuses given by cellphone offenders
"My boss called. I do not want to lose my job."
"I was telling the caller to call back."
"My family member is very sick."
"I forgot my hands-free kit."
"I was about to put on my hands-free kit."
"I was only holding the mobile phone."
"I was using my battery-operated shaver."
"I was digging my ear with the antenna."