In a session with the members of the media today, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) discussed the possibility of making dashcams a compulsory item for all vehicles in Malaysia. The suggestion is a response to the high rate of road accidents in the country.
In 2023 alone, over 600,000 road accidents were recorded alongside over 6,000 fatalities. According to Transport Minister Anthony Loke, about two-thirds of the road fatalities involved motorcylists, the group with the highest safety risk.
Only a suggestion for the time being, the Ministry of Transport has not put the mandatory dashcam suggestion into plans. According to the transport minister, there will be many challenges in implementing this idea should it come to fruition. The challenges include deciding whether or not it will be mandatory at OEM level, and how to enforce it on existing vehicles. There will also be the question on the minimum technical requirements for the dashcams.
The ministry currently aims to reduce the number of traffic accidents and to increase awareness of road safety among Malaysian road users. The mandatory dashcam suggestion mainly aims to provide road users with useful proof should they be involved in an accident.
During a press conference, it was mentioned that the mandatory dashcam suggestion could be enforced on public transport services as well. What are your thoughts on making dashcams compulsory?
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