Mohd Ishak shaking hands with a motorist as Janet gives the thumbs up during the road safety campaign at the City Hall yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: The awareness level among road users in Sabah with small children on the importance of using child car seats for safety is still low, according to the Road Safety Department director general Mohd Nazri Ishak.
It is imperative that small children be seated in child seats to keep them safe inside the vehicle during trips, he said at a road safety campaign held at the City Hall near here yesterday.
“They are the future assets of the country,” he said, adding tbat starting next year, not using a child car seat for small children will be a compoundable offence.
Likewise, it will also be compulsory for back passengers and bus passengers to wear the safety belt while travelling in a vehicle.
However, the penalty amount is not yet known and is still being discussed, he said.
Mohd Ishak also told reporters that road campaigns held during festivals had been proven successful in reducing the number of road accidents and deaths.
He said that people were more tolerant during festivities.
He also said that in Sabah, fast driving, not stopping during red lights and driving at the wrong lanes were the main cause of accidents.
It was also mentioned that last year, Sabah recorded 18,000 accidents.
Also present during the road safety campaign was the department’s Sabah director, Janet David.
The campaign involved various agencies including the Road Transport Department, the City Hall and the Royal Malaysia Police.