Another "quick-fix" idea that's bound to be exploited by certain quarters...that's for sure ! And with the present sky-rocketing rises in prices of fuel and all essential stuff borne by the lowly paid tax-payers ( read YOU ).......folks, just add this one as an additional burden to the already long list of your existing sufferings, you pathetic souls !(read here and here )First let's see who's gonna benefit from this ! Yes.....there is the police who'd appear from "thin air" quickly to stop any car with 4 or more passengers ! Why not, as all Malaysian cars are fitted with only 4 safety belts (2 in the front and 2 for rear seat passengers)...so if you got 3 kids, forget the idea of a family "outing" cos surely any passing cop can stop you and cite (I'm sure by now they'd know it by heart !!) the "back-seat buckle-up" ruling and hoping you'd at least plead ignorance and quickly settle the matter...yes ? Whether the 3 months grace period is on or not, is irrelevant as if you have been so far ignorant of the ruling, it's a better angle for them to negotiate with...right ?....right again !
Then there are these local car manufacturers who are promising they'd fit the fifth belt for "free"...yes but at whose time and do you actually think you'd be bothered to take your car all the way to the assembly plants just to fit the extra belt and spend an entire day there ? Get real.... and when you call for an appointment with them they'd say they have a long waiting list lah and blah,blah, blah......till you get pissed off and so you'd opt to an accessory shop nearby to get it done....and guess who pays for the extras....right? Hmmmm..........do I smell a conspiracy here ???
If you ask me, the implementation of this safety belt "thinggy" should have been made mandatory to the car-manufacturing companies especially locally made cars 20 years ago and then educating the public's mind-set on motoring and buckling-up for safety, a long, long time ago...and THAT this ruling should apply to only cars bought after 1st. June 2008 and not anyone else !!
Talk about Wawasan 2020 ! Sheeesh !!
13 comments:
Mr. Fish, now I must "smuggle" my 2 other kids lah. I got 4- from 4yr to 13 yr old. Maybe I leave my wife and youngest at home than. Cannot afford to pay mat polis la. I got Kembara .
You fellers are jokers....try reading the newspapers some time. The ruling is, if you have 3 belts at the back, 3 people must buckle up. If 2, then 2 buckle up. There is no law in Malaysia which limits the number of people in the back seat. Therefore, if you have four people in back and only 2 belts, only 2 need to buckle up. IT WAS PRINTED IN THE NEWSPAPERS ALREADY. (By the way, that was in caps to emphasise. It does not mean I am shouting)
As for the Fish's comment that it should have been done 20 years ago, I thoroughly agree. But now that it is a law, let's stop complaining. We should just support it because the idea is to save lives, not inconvenience people.
It's amazing that we are so capable of criticizing every little thing about what the government is implementing (just because we are against THEM the govt?)
But isnt it better to have some other suggestions too instead of complaining. I have some grouses too about the safety belt implementation, but I can treallypin point how exactly we can go the other way. But the main reason for the implementation is safety, and there's nothing wrong about th egovt taking care of that. But the issue now is how to make it convenient for us people, and ensure no other parties are taking oppourtunities from the move.
anon 5.36 and Daniel, let me make it clear, it is not about the law or the implementing that I and posting here, but the instances of "oppurtunists" exploiting the situation, ok. And anon, you would be ok if you lost one or two just because you only have 2 belts in the rear seats ? Why not teach people not to pack the cars instead ? And for your info, sorry to disappoint you BUT I do read the papers...online !
Hey Stephen!
EXACTLY what I thought. Mata2 happy2 - like kena lottery.
What about Babies, toddlers ??
Kids bucket seats are equally important because you know lah, we are malaysians and hold our kids on the lap esp in the middle.
The little ones with a seat belt and without a bucket seat is useless. The belt will strangle them across the neck!
You will see, akan datang = the EVEN more exorbitantly priced kid's bucket seat for the under 6!
Hi gobloking,
Babies, toddlers will be under plan for Phase 2 for mata2 happy2 like kena lottery again. LOL !!
stephen, yes. I get your point. I was also agreeing on you about ensuring there would not be any "elite group of individuals" that would benefit from this in some conniving and deceiving way. Poor us rakyat lah. I also have to pasang rear safety belts for my perodua soon leh! Just hope there will not be any "hidden costs" involved somewhere.
Just for the record...same Anon from before:
First, the tone of your entire article was geared towards two things - the Gomen for the "quick-fix" method which will further burden us poor taxpayers as well as the people who will exploit the situation. So to say your posting was against only the latter category is to me, not true. Yes, I agree that these people should be drawn and quartered. I'm with you there all the way. But I stress again that the very opening of your posting was critical of the Gomen.
As for ruling that if three seatbelts than only three people need to buckle up and not the fourth or fifth or whatever, I brought it up simply because you were mistaken about the law. To say that I wouldn't mind losing one member of my family because he/she did not have to buckle up is just plain silly. Going by the same reasoning that you use, then your advocating of the ruling being only applied to cars bought after 1st June 2008 must mean that you don't mind if you lose a family member as well, since I'm sure you don't have a car bought after that date.
FYI, I am all for people buckling up in the back and definitely with you in that people should be taught not to overload. That should be indoctrinated into all the thick skulls on the roads in Malaysia and judging from the way people drive these days, I'm pretty sure there are enough of them to fill up several states. I am also for seatbelts in buses (with no standing room at all) and the use of baby and children's car seats. I will spend what little money I make for my children to use this, but here again there will be people exploiting the situation, and it does suck big time.
And no, you don't disappoint me by saying you read newspapers online. Good for you (and I don't mean it sarcastically). But I have to point out that online newspapers don't carry all the news, unless you read the digital versions
Brother Fish,
I believe the priority should be consideration for other road users before worrying about those who want to kill themselves by not wearing a belt or a helmet. That is their right. But once on the road this right to maim or kill others should be strictly curtailed. And that is what traffic law enforcement should stress on. Whats the point of forcing people to buckle up, etc, when in all other aspects they behave like maniacs on the road murdering and maiming others. Straighten that bit up first before showing so much concern about wanting to protect those who may not care to be protected.
Here in the US, road safety is all encompassing. Rules and regulations are meant to protect everyone especially those more vulnerable to harm such as children, pedestrians, and cyclists, and not just those safely ensconced in their crush proof cabins; and, believe you me, these rules are very strictly enforced to boot.
Giving way to pedestrians, really, really stopping at stop signs even if there is little traffic, not tailgating, keeping to the speed limit, taking turns to cross junctions - in short, sharing the road with others, seem to be the norm and part of the courtesy shown to others.
So when they insist on people buckling up, you know it is one aspect of the overall strictly enforced road traffic rules and not for some pseudo show of concern for car passengers or other considerations.
And here in this midwest American state I'm in, where there is much emphasis and enforcement on road safety, only the front seat passengers and any child below 7 need to buckle up. Maybe Malaysian standards are higher, but I wish there was more strict enforcement of the other rules of the road like protecting passengers from killer bus and truck drivers, and other more basic measures in a place where our traffic mortality statistics have attained international fame.
And here they have some very interesting language use to remind people of the law. A sign in the local equivalent of the JPJ says: "Thinking of bribing a tester, think again."
Or the seat belt rule:
Belt it, or ticket; Buckle up. A law you can live with; and my favorite, "Buckle up. What's holding you back?"
Take care.
mr fish,
heheheh....
forget those nasty mata-mata. never mind whatever they all want to do.
let's be safe than sorry.....or pokai!
cheers!
be happy...
Same Anon as before:
Just wanted to thank you for putting up both my posts. You are indeed a fair man and I respect that even if I don't agree with everything you posted.
I also want to apologise for some of my comments as they were unneccessarily harsh. Since you are definitely a fair man, I am confident you will forgive me.
And, I want to stress again that I feel strongly about the issue of safety, even more strongly than I feel about idiots who will take advantage of the situation (and as you pointed out, there will most definitely be idiots who do!). Unfortunately, as we all know, there are idiots on the road out there, so the added safety measures are good. Let's face it, accidents happen no matter how careful we are. Cos no matter how careful we are, there are idiots on the road who will cause the accidents.
Thank you again and, once more, I apologise for my behaviour before this.
dear anon, No apology required here on my blog. I respect your right to agree to disagree to my opinions and vice-versa. that's the beauty of opinions man. We are always learning something new, right ? Cheers.
Cheers to increased fuel cost! Will be running down to the wharf before the price of beer goes up or visit here for free beers;http://hawkeyejack.blogspot.com/
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