The setting up of the new Traffic Department in the police force is one of the initiatives taken to address the serious issue of road accidents in the country, said Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Comm Datuk Muhammad Fuad Abu Zarim.

He said the new standalone department, which was initially under his department, would be expanded to better handle the major task of policing traffic and promoting road safety.

“It is time that we take traffic offences and its consequences seriously and hopefully, this step will allow the police to focus on this area more,” he said in a recent interview.

Comm Muhammad Fuad said the number of accidents and deaths on Malaysian roads were some of the worst in the world and mainly due to the attitude of road users.

“We see it every day on our way to work with people beating red lights and driving on the emergency lanes.

“The problem is getting worse with fatalities increasing every year.

“There were 6,706 fatalities last year, and that’s an average of 18 deaths per day with most of the victims still in their prime,” he said.