KUALA LUMPUR: This year's Op Selamat 22, coinciding with Hari Raya festivities, witnessed a staggering surge in traffic summonses, marking a whopping 292 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said 114,467 summonses were issued during the operation, serving as a stern reminder for road users to adhere to traffic regulations. Last year, police issued 29,216 summonses.
However, he said despite the surge in summonses, the overall number of road accidents recorded during the operation saw a slight decrease.
"According to comparative reports, there were 8,862 road accidents recorded during Op Selamat 22, marking a drop of 127 cases or 1.41 per cent compared to 8,989 cases the previous year.
"Fatal accidents totalled 105, a reduction of 12 cases or 10 per cent compared to 117 cases last year.
"The total number of fatalities stood at 119, a decrease of seven cases or 6 per cent compared to 126 cases in the previous year," he said during the closing ceremony of Op Selamat 22 at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre (Pulapol), today.
Additionally, Razarudin said there were 43 cases of serious injuries recorded, a decrease of 13 cases or 23 per cent compared to 56 cases the previous year.
He attributed the drop in accidents to heightened public awareness of road safety and responsible driving practices.
However, he said motorcycle riders and pillion passengers remained the most vulnerable, with 79 fatalities reported during Op Selamat 22.
"Contributing factors to these accidents included vehicle control failure due to fatigue and drowsiness, as well as inadequate distance between vehicles," he said.
Furthermore, Razarudin said Op Selamat 22 saw 5,195 reports being made through the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol application, 127 reports via the 999 hotline and 4,167 reports through the "Balik Kampung" form submissions.
A total of 61,107 patrols were conducted on unoccupied homes and premises.
"As a result, the statistics for home burglaries recorded 189 cases compared to 272 cases the previous year, reflecting a decrease of 83 cases or 31 per cent.
"Kudos to road users for maintaining patience and tolerance throughout their journey."
"Once again, a heartfelt appreciation to all law enforcement officers and support teams for willingness to set aside personal interests to ensure the safety of road users," he said.
