KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (Miros) said the fatal bus accident at Km137.3 of the North-South Expressway (NSE) this morning could have been due to the driver’s sleep deprivation which increases the risk of a crash.
Miros director-general Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said drowsy driving could be a factor, as the accident happened at about 3.40am today.
He said the bus could also have skidded due to tyre or mechanical problems.
“However, an investigation must be carried out to determine the exact cause and to prevent similar accidents in the future.
“An investigation will also help to determine compliance with applicable safety regulations and to determine the hazards that should be corrected,” he told the New Straits Times.
Fourteen people, including an infant, were killed and 17 others injured, including foreigners, when the Aliran Golden Coach Express plunged into a 6-metre ditch near Kampung Jayo, Jalan Kangkar Senangah Pagoh, near Muar, Johor.
Wong said Miros will look into how the express bus company schedules and manages the shift for its bus drivers, which is vital in order to ensure that they get enough sleep.
He also pointed out that road users tend to let their guard down when driving down a highway, such as not paying attention to their speed.
“They perceive a highway as safe due to its wide lanes and mostly straight paths with few bends,” he said.
Meanwhile, Miros chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said it is alarming that fatal accidents, which used to happen on trunk roads and federal roads, are happening on highways.
He also suggested that the accident is likely due to human factors, such as drowsy driving and speeding, which contributes to between 70 and 80 per cent of accident causes.
As such, the government must hasten to set up the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as an independent government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accidents.
Lee said the suggestion is key among the 51 recommendations in a report by the independent advisory panel on the Genting Highland bus crash in 2013.
“The role of the board is to continually advise, investigate, analyse and report all recommendations and improvements to the Transport Minister on safety issues involving roads, rails, aviation as well as maritime transportation,” he said.
Lee also pointed out that regular traffic law enforcement by the relevant authorities such as police and the Road Transport Department can go a long way in reducing traffic casualties.
“Enforcement should not be seasonal, as there are errant road users every day, with speeding being the major offence,” said Lee, who is also National Institute of Occupational and Health (NIOSH) chairman.-nst
