KUALA LUMPUR Feb 16 — A total of 8,501 accidents were recorded nationwide during the six-day operations under the Op Selamat 21, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations, from February 8 to 13.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) director Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said that the number of accidents dropped by 906 cases, or 10 per cent, compared with 9,407 cases reported last year.

The number of fatal accidents was also down by one case, with 86 fatalities recorded, compared with 87, he said.

There was also a drop of nine fatalities, as Op Selamat 21 recorded 91 deaths, compared with 100 cases in Op Selamat 19.

He stressed that motorcyclists and pillion riders accounted for the most fatalities, with 67 deaths, representing 74 per cent of the total Op Selamat 21 fatalities.

“This represents an increase of 11 fatalities, compared with Op Selamat 19, which recorded 56 fatalities,” he told reporters after attending the appreciation ceremony for the Op Selamat 21’s best contingent and district award, in conjunction with Chinese New Year, at the Police Training Centre, today.

Mohd Azman said that among the main causes of accidents were tailgating, lack of awareness leading to self-skidding, and thirdly, failure to pay attention to other vehicles or objects in front of or next to the vehicle.

Throughout Op Selamat 21, a total of 10,715 vehicles were involved in accidents, showing a drop of 1,699 vehicles, compared with 12,414 vehicles recorded during Op Selamat 19.

The number of summonses issued increased to 201,840, compared with 103,114 summonses issued during Op Selamat 19.

Apart from that, 45,727 patrols were conducted to residences and properties, including 22,335 patrols with mobile patrol vehicles (MPV), 10,673 with motorbikes (URB), 11,239 patrols with station personnel and 1,480 other patrols.

Mohd Azman said that Op Selamat 21 aimed at ensuring smooth traffic flow, as well as reducing the rate of road accidents, protecting property and homes and reducing the rate of house break-ins during the festive period. — Bernama