KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — More than 80 per cent of road accidents in Malaysia are caused by driver behaviour rather than poor road conditions, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has said.
Citing data from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), the minister said that out of more than 500,000 accident cases recorded, only 12 to 13 per cent were attributed to road-related factors such as surface damage or weather conditions.
“Based on findings from MIROS, of more than 500,000 accident cases, there were 12,000 serious injuries and 6,000 deaths — 4,000 of them involving motorcyclists.
“Only around 12 to 13 per cent are due to road factors, including damage and weather. In contrast, more than 80 per cent are due to driver behaviour,” he said in an interview with Mingguan Malaysia published today.
Nanta expressed concern that public perception tends to blame infrastructure failures whenever crashes occur, even when investigations show otherwise.
“Unfortunately, many are still inclined to blame others and won’t admit their own mistakes. But this is the reality we must acknowledge,” he said.
The minister said better public awareness is needed to encourage safer driving habits, including obeying speed limits and avoiding distractions.
“There needs to be more advocacy to drivers to ensure safety while driving, including not using mobile phones,” he added.
The comments come in the wake of a tragic accident involving a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) bus in Gerik, Perak, in June, which left 15 students dead.
While many initially blamed road conditions for the crash, Nanta clarified that investigations by the Transport Ministry found no such cause.
“According to the official report from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the viral dashcam footage, the accident happened due to speeding.
“The speed limit in that area is 60 km/h, but the bus was travelling at 117 km/h, nearly double,” he said.
He reiterated that while there are damaged roads across Malaysia’s federal network — which spans over 20,000km — the evidence points to human error as the main contributor to most crashes.
The Ministry of Works has been working to improve monitoring and maintenance of roads, but Nanta said the focus must also include changing mindsets and behaviours behind the wheel.
