The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has announced that it has issued 1,415 summonses for seat belt violations involving express and tourist buses, since enforcement started on 1st July 2025.
The summonses were issued under the Motor Vehicles (Seat Belts and Child Restraint Systems) Rules 1978 (Amendment 2019), where offenders can face a compound fine of up to RM300 for each violation.
JPJ provided a detailed breakdown of the violations. Summonses were issued to 39 express bus drivers and 45 tourist bus drivers for not wearing a seat belt. The vast majority of summonses were issued to passengers and conductors. In total, 1,147 were ticketed on express buses, along with another 158 on tourist buses, for not wearing seatbelts. Additionally, 26 express buses were summoned for failing to have seat belts installed at all.
The enforcement of seat belt usage in buses will be carried out in stages. Buses manufactured before January 1, 2020, will be given a deadline to install seatbelts in all passenger seats, in line with existing regulations.
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In related news, JPJ has launched their “Klik Sebelum Gerak” awareness campaign to highlight the importance of wearing a seat belt both for drivers and passengers.
According to the department, the campaign aims to highlight its commitment to ensuring every journey starts with the most fundamental safety measure: wearing a seat belt. This is based on research from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), which found that wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of death for vehicle passengers by up to 50% in the event of an accident.
This simple action helps ensure that drivers and passengers remain secured in their seats during a crash, significantly reducing the risk of being thrown around the cabin and sustaining severe injuries.
JPJ has stated it will continue its advocacy programmes, spreading awareness through various channels while also conducting regular inspections to ensure compliance.
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