MIRI: Bigger roads, more vehicles, more people equals more road deaths – that is how it is on the state and federal roads in northern Sarawak today as latest statistics points to a high surge in the number of people killed in road accidents in the area.
For the first six months of this year, 30 people had died in fatal road accidents in Miri Division, as compared with 18 during the same period last year.
An alarming 1,694 cases of road accidents occurred in Miri Division from January to June this year.
These accidents and the 30 deaths occured during accidents on state and federal roads, with accidents on federal roads showing an alarming increase of 500% in terms of frequency of occurance.
The latest figures compiled by the Miri traffic authorities showed that tragic road accidents are getting too frequent for comfort.
Miri police chief ACP Gan Tian Kee had recently blamed the situation on both human attitude and also on the road conditions and the fast increase in the number of new vehicles that are on the roads every month.
“The number of accidents happening and the number of people getting killed in these accidents keep on increasing.
“Why is it like this? There is a need to come up with some solution fast,” he said at the Miri Traffic police headquarters during a visit.
According to probes carried out by the traffic police, there has been a vast surge in not only the number of new vehicles on the roads in Miri, but also in the number of vehicles passing through Miri Division because this region is located in the middle of the Pan Borneo highway.
Miri is located right in the centre point of the Pan Borneo highway routes between Sabah, Brunei and the rest of Sarawak.
Motorists wanting to go from southern Sarawak to Brunei and into Sabah have to pass through Miri Division, while those travelling from Sabah or Brunei to southern Sarawak need to pass through Miri.
This region functions as the transit link for all sorts of vehicles, from cars to four-wheel drives to lorries, trucks and cargo containers.
“Add in with the existing number of vehicles on the roads owned by people living in Miri City and the new vehicles that are on the roads all the time, the roads here are getting very busy.
“The road conditions along the Pan Borneo highway are uneven and not lighted at night.
“The human factors also contribute to the increasing road deaths because motorists are driving very fast, and disregarding regulations and some of them drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” Gan stressed.
Based on the statistics compiled by the traffic police, road accidents have surged in most stretches of state and federal roads.
For example, along the Miri to Bintulu routes, there has been a 25% surge over the past six months.
Along the Kuala Baram by-pass, there was a 200% surge, Senadin 100%, Bakam and Miri-Bekenu-Niah routes also 100% increase.
The deaths resulting from these accidents involved motorists, van drivers, four-wheel drivers and also motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Some 2,776 vehicles were involved in various forms of accidents in Miri Division during the first six months of this year.
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