Just under 60% of Malaysian drivers feel safe on the road, survey shows

Just under 60% of Malaysian road users feel safe on the go, with roughly the same proportion confident in the country’s progress in curbing high accident rates, a study by the UCSI Poll Research Centre shows.

The study conducted among 937 Malaysians found that 58% of respondents felt safe on the road while 42% did not.

Of those who felt safe, 61.1% said they were confident that other road users would generally adhere to traffic rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, 53.7% said they were confident in their own driving knowledge and skills, while 47.3% said they were physically fit to drive.

A total of 43.1% were confident that other drivers would show “good road manners” while 42.6% believed that other road users were generally “ethical”.

Of the 42% who were uncomfortable on the road, 67.4% had little confidence that others would abide by traffic rules while 49.5% said the same about other road users driving with “good road manners”.

Meanwhile, 47.9% said there were too many different vehicles on the road, while 45.4% said they had little confidence in the existing rules and regulations.

A total of 44.9% said the roads were not in good condition.

Of the 57% of respondents who believed the country was making good progress in curbing high accident rates, 70.9% said there was an effective system in place to ensure that only mature and knowledgeable drivers are allowed on the road.

A total of 57.7% said there were rules and regulations governing the safety of vehicles allowed on the road, while 47.3% said enforcers act against offenders in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, 46.6% said the road signs were enough to prevent confusion, and 46.4% said there was an effective system in place to identify road safety offenders.

Of the 43% who disagreed on Malaysia’s progress in curbing accident rates, 64.8% doubted the system allowing only mature and skilled drivers on the road while 60.8% said there was a lack of robust rules and regulations governing the safety of vehicles.

A total of 52.8% said other road users drive with “bad road manners”, 49.5% said enforcers do not act in a timely manner, and 49.4% said the roads are generally in bad condition.