Driving on Malaysian roads can be an absolute pain. Whether it’s a short five-minute drive or taking the highway to work, being on the road is stressful, and not just because of the jam, but because of other drivers too!
Well, besides having to worry about other people on the road, you should know that there are probably a couple of road laws you yourself may have broken once before. And you probably didn’t even know it! So if you don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of the law, make sure you take note of these things that are actually illegal on Malaysian roads:
1. Being inconsiderate and unreasonable on the road
For those of you who like to suka-suka cut lane out of nowhere, or suddenly speed up when someone else is trying to slowly cut into yours, this law is targeted at you! According to section 43 of the Road Transport Act 1987, careless and inconsiderate driving and not being reasonable on the road is an offence!
Fine: RM4000-RM10,000 and imprisonment not exceeding 12 months
2. Placing any object on your lap while driving
Source: RebelCircus
Whether it’s your laptop bag, handbag, or worse, a child, placing anything on your lap while driving can obstruct and hamper your control of your car, as stated in Section 47 of the act. So don’t leave anything on your lap if you don’t want to get into any accidents or get pulled over by the police.
3. When you’re a back seat passenger and you don’t put your seatbelt on
Source: Shutterstock
This wasn’t always illegal though. The amendment to the Motor Vehicles (Safety Seatbelts) Rules 1978 only stated that front seat passengers were required to wear seatbelts. However, as of 2009, an amendment stated that even those in the backseat are required to have seatbelts on! Don’t play play ah!
4. Posting videos online of other bad drivers on the road
Source: Saga
Car dash cams are all the rage now, almost every car has one installed. It’s a great way to safeguard ourselves especially with so many reckless drivers on the road these days. However, according to section 53C, if you do happen to catch a video recording of an epic car accident or a road bully on the road, you aren’t supposed to upload it to your Facebook or any other platform for that matter!
Fine: RM50,000 and/or imprisonment not exceeding five years
5. Not keeping your certificate of insurance with you
Source: Bankrate
According to Section 58(1) of the act, your certificate of insurance is as important as your driver’s licence, and it’s something you may need to present if you ever get pulled over.
6. Not updating your home address when you move to a new place
Source: WOB
That’s right, just like your IC, your driver’s license is meant to reflect your latest information, and this includes your home address, as stated in Section 58A. Not doing so is an offence.
7. Not being insured against third party risks
Source: AGC
Unlike life insurance, we can opt for the kind of coverage we want; whether it’s to be insured for hospitalisation or accident-related causes, it’s completely up to us! When it comes to insuring your vehicle(s) however, according to Section 90(1), you must ensure it is insured against third party risks. This includes any accidents that might be caused by outside factors or other drivers.
Fine: RM1000 and/or imprisonment not exceeding three months
8. Modifying and changing the look/identity of your car without JPJ’s approval
Source: CourierPost
According to Section 12 of the act, car owners cannot suka-hati alter the weight, dimensions, character, construction, colour, and so forth of the car. Besides overly tinted windows, there are a number of other car modifications you cannot do without getting JPJ’s approval, and here’s what they are:
- Body part/body kit installation that changes the vehicle’s identity
- Inner roll cage installation
- High-intensity discharge (HID) lights retrofitting
- Changes to the drive train
- Flashing lights installation on the vehicles front and rear (except for turn lights and warning lights)
- Tinted window or film installation on the windshield with a transparency less than 70 per cent
- Tinted window or film installation on the rear or side windows with a transparency less than 50 per cent
If you plan on making any of the above modifications to your car, make sure you get the right approval from JPJ!
These are just some of the many road laws you might be guilty of, if you want to avoid any hefty fines or getting pulled over by the police in the future, read up on the full list of laws here!
Drive safe, friends!
Also read: M’sians Can Now Settle Their Summonses At 70% Off From 2nd to 30th April!
