SUNGAI PETANI: Reckless driving behaviour has been identified as the primary cause of road accidents documented in Kedah during the five-day Ops Selamat campaign in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities.
Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh said that the eight fatal road accident cases occurring in the state during the period were all spurred by road users' negligence.
Hence, he stressed that road users must cooperate with enforcement agencies by taking road safety measures seriously to prevent fatalities on the road.
"Law enforcement agencies have fulfilled their responsibilities, yet if civilian drivers lack awareness to prioritise road safety, accidents will occur.
"Statistics found that over 1.2 million vehicles entered Kedah during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period.
"If these drivers, in general, lack the necessary patience, the likelihood of accidents increases," he said during a press conference at the Kuala Muda district police headquarters here today.
Fisol also said that road accident cases in the state have surged during this year's Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period compared to last year.
He said a total of 651 road accident cases were reported, representing a 42-case increase from the previous year.
Commenting further, he said that strong compliance amongst road users and proper law enforcement action will be key in ensuring better road safety in the state.
"Regarding law enforcement agencies, we'll adopt a more comprehensive approach in this state and avoid singling out specific accident hotspots," he added.
