KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The Ministry of Transport yesterday announced a plan to cast a wider net to catch road speeders using what it calls a point-to-point system as part of improvements for its Automated Awareness Safety System, or AWAS cameras.
The announcement came amid renewed public concerns over road safety after last year saw several deadly crashes happening within a short period of time.
A total of 532,125 road accidents were reported from January to October 2024, with 5,364 of them fatal.
Here is what we know about the new AWAS system so far:
What is this point-to-point system?
Under the current system the AWAS cameras only identify offenders by capturing cars driving beyond speed limits.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said this encourages speeders to slow down only where the cameras are located, and then speed up once they pass the camera.
The point-to-point system instead calculates the time a car should reach a certain destination based on the speed limit of that particular route.
For example, if they calculate that you must arrive at point B from point A in 20 minutes based on a speed limit of 80km per hour and you end up arriving earlier, that means the camera knows you drove beyond the speed limit.
Is there a maximum distance this system can cover?
No, according to Loke.
Speaking to Malay Mail briefly, the transport minister said the point-to-point system allows enforcement agencies to have more flexibility since it’s based on speed calculations instead of static scanning.
At the moment the Ministry of Transport has identified close to a dozen high risk routes. Among them are the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and the Menora Tunnel between Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh.
“Both the routes are hilly and we found that drivers have a tendency to speed when they go downhill,” Loke said.
Why is this system being considered?
Loke said the current system has serious loopholes that let offenders evade penalties, ultimately putting other road users in danger.
Malaysia has the highest road fatality ratio per 100,000 people in Asia, and Loke said reducing it will be among his top 2025 agendas as transport minister.
This new system’s ability to cast a wider net will be accompanied by heftier fines as laws are expected to be reviewed and amended this year, which he hopes would deter road users from speeding.
