Keeping kids safe with reduced school zone speed limit
Transport Minister Anthony Loke during press conference at Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Putrajaya. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
SEREMBAN: Laws to reduce the speed limit in school zones are being gazetted and will be enforced soon, says Anthony Loke (pic).
The Transport Minister said that with an average of 70 fatalities in school zones a year, there was a pressing need to reduce the speed limit in these areas.
He said the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has in principle agreed to reduce the speed limit in a move to reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from road accidents.
'The Road Safety Council (MKJR) will carry out this programme at selected schools this year. We need to do this to ensure the safety of both students as well as other road users,' he said after chairing the 61st annual general meeting of the MKJR here.
Loke said studies have shown that reducing the speed limit to 30km per hour can greatly help reduce fatalities as well as serious injuries to road users.
He said efforts should be made to put up signage, school crossings, speed breakers, road dividers and other safety equipment in school zones to ensure success. Wardens carrying stop signs will also be engaged.
Loke said the Public Works Department and local councils have been informed to gazette the new speed limit laws.
'I hope that action is taken quickly to gazette them,' he said.
Asked what triggered the move to reduce the speed limit in school zones, Loke said this was already a norm in many countries.
'This is the international standard. This was also one of the resolutions under the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, which we participated in previously, ' he said, expressing hope that motorists would not object to this as it was for the safety of schoolchildren.
On a separate matter, Loke said the MKJR will also launch the My Safe Road programme this year by coming up with initiatives to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in high-risk areas.
He said another programme in the pipeline was to appoint young advocates to highlight road safety among youths.
'We want to have more young people taking the lead in road safety initiatives.
'We are also in the midst of talks with local universities to organise short programmes to expose young people to theories and practical training so that they can become advocates for road safety,' he said, adding that the programme would be launched this year.
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