257 accidents, 442 vehicles: deadly toll mounts on East-West Highway Gerik-Jeli stretch
According to Gerik police chief Supt Abdul Samad Othman, the accidents included eight fatal cases, resulting in 22 deaths.
Among the fatalities were 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), who were killed in a horrific accident on June 9.
'The number of deaths reflects the total number of victims who died, as fatal accidents often involve more than one casualty. For example, a fatal bus crash on June 9 alone claimed 15 lives, all of whom were students from UPSI,' he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Abdul Samad added that the 442 vehicles involved in the accidents included 287 cars, followed by 55 multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) or vans, 42 motorcycles, 38 pickup trucks, 17 lorries, and three buses.
On July 22, Bernama reported that, according to the 2024 traffic census by the Public Works Department (JKR), the JRTB route remains at a good level of service, with its current configuration able to accommodate the present traffic volume.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi reportedly said that a total daily traffic volume of 2,409 vehicles was observed on the JRTB route, with heavy vehicles accounting for 751 vehicles, or 31.2 per cent of the total.
'The JRTB route is categorised as hilly terrain, with its alignment designed to follow the contours and topography of the Titiwangsa mountain range. Its geometric design as the two-lane single carriageway has met the required technical and functional standards for its construction,' he said.
To improve road safety, JKR director-general Datuk Roslan Ismail said the department has implemented a blackspot treatment programme under its Road Safety Infrastructure Upgrade initiative. Since 2018, 16 accident-prone locations along the route have been identified.
'The approach is based on the principle of 'Low Cost, High Impact.' If the treatment method applied is appropriate to the type of accident occurring, the accident rate at those blackspot locations can be reduced at relatively low cost,' he explained. — Bernama
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