When uninsured road users cause misery
PETALING JAYA: Social media users share their harrowing experiences of getting involved in accidents with uninsured road users.
This includes having to fork out extra money to repair their vehicles and suffering permanent disabilities.
X (previously known as Twitter) user @Injang_Nation compiled the experiences of road users, who had to bear with the consequences, though not at fault.
Among them is a man who claimed that his nephew was hit by a vehicle, which was uninsured, and the driver did not have a valid licence.
“Even after four years since the operation, his right leg still hasn’t healed,” @aliff_haidar said, adding that the accident resulted in the victim being categorised as a person with disabilities under the Welfare Department.
A motorist, who only identified himself as Muhammad, 33, was hit by a car without valid road tax and insurance, leaving him without transport. As a result, he missed work for almost a month.
“The driver wanted to just pay me off with RM100 and I refused since the damage cost more.
“She then called her husband and they begged me to wait until the end of the month so they could get their salaries to pay for the repairs.
“I wanted to settle it by lodging a police report and just claiming the insurance, but they revealed that their car insurance and road tax had lapsed for almost a year. Thankfully, it was only the cars that were damaged,” he said.
The reactions came about after a viral video of a p-hailing rider walking away from a roadblock in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, to complete his food delivery after his motorcycle was seized by authorities for having expired road tax and insurance on Tuesday.
Social media users were divided, saying the Road Transport Department (JPJ) should be more considerate, while some said the act of the rider was irresponsible.
The Negri Sembilan JPJ reportedly said the motorcycle was seized to maintain the safety of the rider and other road users as he was no longer covered by insurance.
Selangor Road Safety Council permanent member Tengku Ahmad Marwan Tengku Mahmud said the onus is on the p-hailing riders to make sure that they have valid road tax and insurance while on the job.
He said that failing to do so would be an offence under Section 14(4) of the Road Transport Act 1987, in which the rider could face a hefty fine of RM3,000.
“Their vehicles can also be confiscated by the authorities to prevent them from endangering other road users.
“Motorists with uninsured vehicles can be a serious threat to other users because in a road traffic accident, victims will not be able to claim insurance,” said Tengku Ahmad Marwan, who is an affiliate member of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
To curb the issue, he said p-hailing companies should ensure that their riders fulfil the requirements before approving their applications.
“The authorities must also play their role in enforcing the law by doing regular checks whenever possible to ensure these riders obey all the rules and laws, and take stern actions if necessary,” he said.
Road safety expert Assoc Professor Dr Law Teik Hua from Universiti Putra Malaysia said to overcome the issue effectively requires appropriate traffic enforcement measures.
He said there was a need to review possible strategies to reduce the costs associated with renewing road tax and insurance.
He said regular checks by police and seizure of vehicles would prevent riders from being involved in any potential accidents.
“The motorcycles will be returned upon obtaining valid road tax and insurance after renewal of the relevant documents,” he said.
One of the challenges faced by riders in renewing their road tax and general insurance, Law noted, is mostly due to financial constraints.
Law said that the absence of insurance coverage may point to the riders as fully responsible for all damages arising from any accident.
“The riders may be subjected to legal penalties for riding without valid road tax and insurance, including fines, vehicle impoundment, or even legal proceedings.
“It also includes damage to their own vehicles and the other parties, and any injuries suffered, or medical expenses incurred.”