This year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration is extremely special, like balik kampung has not been possible in the past two years due to pandemic movement control restrictions. It’s a sweet reunion for most families. Most, not all.
On Raya’s first day alone, 28 road accident deaths were recorded in Malaysia. Of that total, 19 are motorcyclists and millions, six are car drivers and passengers, two are pedestrians and one is a jeep driver.
Deputy IGP Datuk Razarudin Husain told Bernama that the death toll on the first day of Raya (May 2) was the highest since Ops Selamat 18 began on April 29. That day, 10 people were killed. On April 30, 18 people died, on May 1, 20 people died in road traffic accidents.
Of the 76 deaths recorded in 4 days, 10 are from Selangor, 9 in Pahang and 8 in Kelantan. Most of the deaths occurred on interstate roads (29), with state roads and highways contributing 21 and seven deaths respectively.
For the total number of crashes in Ops Selamat 18 through May 2, it was 6,932. Selangor leads again, followed by Johor, KL, Perak and Penang. Razarudin also said that a total of 211,235 summons were issued in four days for various crimes. Of that total, 81,753 saman is to speed up.
This weekend will see the exodus back to the Klang Valley. Make sure your car is in good condition, stay alert on the road and drive/ride safely. Traffic is bound to be heavy, so be prepared for a long journey.
