“Eh, ni langgar peraturan lagi akan kena saman tau?”
“Ya, aku tau, tak pa la, polis tak nampak.”
“Tapi bukan pasal saman saja, bahaya juga tau?”
“Aduh, aku dah buat banyak kali dan tak ada apa-apa berlaku pun.”
Yep. People are stubborn. Even though they know that something that they do is against the traffic rules and will eventually lead them to a fine and worse still the dangerous consequences, they still want to do it. Why? Just because they want to save time, or they think it is okay and will not cause any harm, or just merely for fun.
Well, the fact is, traffic rules are there for a reason. They are not set to make people’s life hard and the fines are not issued to earn your money. They are given to punish and remind offenders not to repeat the same offence again. No one could afford even one single mishap, even though you might argue that you’ve done it all the time and nothing bad has happened so far. Here are some very common traffic rules car owners tend to break and the reasons why we should obey them.
1. Driving Without License
Every driver on the road must possess a valid driving license. This is to ensure that all drivers on the road has been through proper training and passed the driving test.
Risk: This offence is taken very seriously because any driver who has not undergone training and gained knowledge on driving will potentially bring harm to other road users.
Charges: Anyone who does not possess a valid driving license whilst driving on the road will be be fined up to RM1000 or one year jail or both if convicted under section 26 of the road enforcement deeds.
2. Driving Without Car Insurance/Road Tax
It is compulsory for every vehicle in Malaysia to be covered by insurance. The authorities have made it necessary by only allowing the renewal of road tax when only if the car is being insured. So, why is it so important to have your car insured?
Risk: Imagine when you accidentally knocked into somebody’s car or a pedestrian and the person demanded compensation from you. It could go up to thousands if the car is very expensive or the person’s medical fee is high. It will cost you a big hole in your pocket if you were to fork out the money from your savings.
However, if your car is being insured, the insurance company can pay the claim for you. Yes, you have to pay for the insurance every year and it does cost a lot too. But, we never knew when accidents are going to happen and that’s when insurance comes in handy.
Now, why is road tax important? We pay road tax because we use the road. Simple as that. Money collected from road tax are used to maintain the roads and enhance the infrastructure so that road users like us can use them safely.
Charges: If you’re found not having a valid road tax, you can be fined up to RM300. The amount might not be very high, but if you receive one and do not pay for it, you might end up in court and have your name blacklisted by JPJ.
3. Using Mobile Phone While Driving
Texting and driving is definitely a big NO! Drivers must stay focus on the road, and must not lose sight of it for even one second. The consequences of using mobile phone while driving could cost you your life and also others.
Risk: Averagely, it takes about 3 seconds when you look down to your phone, and within these 3 seconds, you are actually driving blindly for 50 meters. The risk of accidents happening when texting and driving increases by 23 times compared to normal driving. Not only are you bringing possible danger to yourself, and also those in your car and the other road users.
Charges: That is also why even if you’re just holding your mobile phone but not using it, you can still be given a penalty of RM300 under the charge of driving dangerously.
If you need navigation from your phone app, set it before you depart and place it on a mobile phone holder attached to your car. Turn on the sound so you can hear the instructions and therefore reduce the need to look at your phone.
4. Vehicle Left with Engine Running
Yes, you can get a fine for not turning the engine off when your car is idle on a public road for more than a couple minutes. It doesn’t matter whether there’s someone sitting in the car or it’s left unattended. As long as the vehicle is parked on a public road with engine on, it is against the law.
Risk: When the engine is running, our vehicle produces unnecessary emissions and noise pollution which could have been reduced if we turn the engine off. This happens a lot in Malaysia, especially busses and coaches, where drivers tend to turn on the engine to have the air con on for 5-10 minutes before starting their journey to lower down the temperature inside the vehicle. Parents tend to sit in the car and keep the engine on too while waiting to pick up their children from school or classes. Emissions from vehicles pollutes the air and our children actually breathe them in.
Other than that, when you leave your car outside your house, convenience stores or anywhere public, you are putting your car at risk of being stolen. Turn off your engine even if it’s just a short trip to the convenience store. This also helps saving your petrol.
Charges: Any stationary vehicle (except in traffic or for diagnosing faults) found with engine on, the authorities can issue a fine of up to RM100.
5. Car Modification that Violates the JPJ Rules
Certain car owners love to install accessories or modify their car to make it stands out from the crowd. However, we cannot modify our cars as we like. There’re guidelines that we need to follow.
The most common modification that many car owners in Malaysia have done is applying dark tinting film to the windshield and windows. It is understood that this is done because of the very hot weather in Malaysia to help in reducing heat inside the car. So, JPJ has allowed this modification with condition.
| Tinted Windows | Visible Light Transmission (VLT) |
| Front Windshield | Not less than 70% |
| Front Side Windows | Not less than 50% |
| Rear Side Windows & Rear Windshield | Any |
(Effective from 08 May 2019)
Risk: During night time, dark windshield will raise safety concern as it decreases the driver’s visibility. Besides that, when accident occurs, dark windows make it hard for rescuers to break the window to rescue the victim. Poor visibility from the outside will hinder rescuers to see the condition inside the car and therefore slowing down the rescue progress.
On the other hand, dark windows might lead to higher car theft or crime rates. People from the outside cannot easily see what and who is inside the car. Passengers in the rear seats might be a hostage or a kidnapped person and due to dark windows, none can be identified from the outside. Even when there’s a road block, the safety of the police would be compromised because they wouldn’t notice there are passengers at the rear seats until it is close enough for the police to see through the dark windows. The risk gets higher if there are firearms in the vehicle. It will also be difficult for the police to take any actions when they cannot identify the number of people inside the vehicle. So, make sure you follow the rules set by JPJ for your own safety and also others.
Charges: Failure to comply with the rule will result in a RM300 fine.
6. Not Wearing Seat Belts
Everyone knows about the danger of not wearing seat belts when sitting in a vehicle. Yet, drivers and passengers, especially at the rear seats, risk their lives not fastening seat belts either because it is uncomfortable or they think it is okay not to do it.
Risk: When a passenger doesn’t wear the seat belt and accident happens, even there are airbags in the vehicle, it may not be effective in protecting the passenger. This is because the huge momentum will cause the passenger to move forward and since there’s nothing holding onto the passenger, he/she will fly out of the vehicle.
There were so many cases where rear passengers lost their lives because they didn’t wear the seatbelts and were thrown out of the car during road accidents. Although the government has highlighted this important message and started to set up road blocks to check on passengers who don’t wear seat belts, many Malaysians still do not learn from others’ mistake and take it seriously.
Charges: Drivers who do not wear seat belts or fail to remind the passengers to do so can be fined up to RM300.
7. Third Brake Light Not Working
Third brake light is the red light at the top/bottom middle of the car’s rear windshield. Its function is to notify drivers behind that your vehicle is slowing down.
Risk: Malfunction of third brake light will put you and other road users in danger especially during rainy days. Drivers tailing you may not be able to tell when you are pressing on your brake and reducing the car speed if your third brake light does not light up. This might cause collisions that could have been avoided if your third brake light was working well.
When your vehicle’s shift lock overrides, this could be a signal that your third brake lock is broken. Get it fixed immediately as driving with a broken brake light can cause damages to your transmission system too.
Charges: During an event of third brake light not working properly, drivers can face penalty of up to RM150.
As the saying goes, “Better late than never”. Start obeying the traffic rules for the sake of your own safety and other road users. You could save paying for fines, and most importantly, ensuring road safety.
Leave us a message or call 012-4885711 if your car insurance/road tax is expired. We will get it done for you. If you need any help on other matters, you can still contact us and we will help you. Safety first!
