Fine tailgaters based on
income level, say safety
experts
Miros chairman Wong Shaw Voon and UPM lecturer Law Teik Hua say the current fixed fine of RM300 does not affect all motorists equally.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Wong Shaw Voon argued that the current fixed-amount system does not affect all motorists equally.
“A RM300 fine might be a significant amount for me, but not for someone earning RM30,000 a month,” he told FMT.
Federal traffic police said recently that tailgating is particularly seen during festive seasons when highways become heavily congested.
Wong said Malaysia should emulate Finland, which calculates fines to be directly proportional to the offender’s income and the seriousness of the offence. The country is also strict on licence suspensions and mandatory road safety courses for repeat offenders.
In contrast, Malaysia’s traffic penalties are set at a fixed amount regardless of income.
The Road and Transport Act punishes “reckless and dangerous” driving with a jail term of up to five years and a fine of between RM5,000 and RM15,000 for a first offence.
“Careless and inconsiderate driving” carries a fine of between RM4,000 and RM10,000, along with a potential jail term of up to one year.
The dangers of tailgating
Law Teik Hua, a road safety expert at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said tailgating can trigger chain-reaction collisions, particularly in high-traffic areas.
“If one vehicle hits the car in front due to tailgating, other drivers may not have enough time to stop, leading to multiple collisions in a short span,” he said.
Wong said stricter enforcement measures, including improved penalties and better enforcement strategies, are needed to tackle tailgating.
He suggested applying the 3S principles of severity, swiftness and sureness. “The severity of penalties depends on their impact on the person,” he said, as fixed-amount fines may not be sufficient deterrents.
Wong also called for penalties to be meted swiftly. “People don’t really care if a ticket is issued to them three years after the offence. It has to be as fast as possible to have an impact,” he said.
Wong said certainty in enforcement was important, adding that capturing offences on video will help traffic police be sure of them.
Law said technology could be used to improve compliance with traffic regulations and increase enforcement presence.
“Deploying AI-powered traffic cameras to automatically detect and fine tailgaters, along with increasing traffic police patrols in high-risk areas, could serve as stronger deterrents,” he said.
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