Road safety in Malaysia is driven more by fear of fines than genuine care, with risky behaviour returning as soon as traffic eases, experts say
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian motorists’ discipline on the roads remains driven more by fear of being caught than a genuine commitment to safety, with risky behaviour quickly resurfacing once congestion eases, said the Malaysian Road and Transportation Safety Association.
Association president Md Hairolazaman Muhamed Nor said compliance during peak travel periods is often circumstantial rather than self-driven, as many drivers only slow down when traffic conditions force them to do so.
“Driver discipline is still more about fear of being caught than awareness of safety. As long as the mentality of ‘as long as I don’t get fined’ remains, there will still be room to improve compliance through education and technology,” he told theSun.
Hairolazaman said this pattern is particularly evident during festive travel periods when heavy congestion can create the impression of orderly driving, even though underlying attitudes remain unchanged.
“When traffic is very congested, drivers are effectively forced to comply with the speed limit.
“But once the road starts to clear, especially on overtaking lanes or after accident areas, some begin driving aggressively again to make up for lost time,” he said.
He described this as “forced discipline”, noting that it reflects road conditions rather than a stronger sense of responsibility among motorists.
Hairolazaman said the continued misuse of emergency lanes and poor adherence to safe following distances, further highlight gaps in compliance, despite repeated enforcement efforts and safety reminders.
He said such misuse not only violates traffic rules but also hampers emergency response, while failure to maintain safe distances continues to contribute to chain collisions, particularly during holiday traffic surges.
“There is still room for improvement, especially in the misuse of emergency lanes and the failure to maintain a safe following distance, both of which continue to contribute to road safety risks,” he said.
However, he said stricter enforcement has proven effective in improving compliance when motorists perceive a higher risk of being caught and penalised.
“Strict enforcement has a direct effect on compliance. This shows that drivers are more likely to obey the rules when the risk of being detected and fined is high,” he said.
He pointed to the implementation of Speed Limitation Devices for commercial vehicles as an example, citing Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat in December 2025 that compliance had risen from 2.68% in October 2025 to 48.37% by December following stricter enforcement.