Saturday April 26, 2008
Kancil, Kenari get exemption
By SIM LEOI LEOI
PUTRAJAYA: Perodua Kancil and Kenari cars manufactured between 1998 until mid-2004 will be exempted from the compulsory backseat belt rule when it comes into effect in June.
Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh said this was because the models produced during this period did not have anchorage points for these seat belts.
“Some models that came out in the period between 2004 and 2005 have anchorage points but no rear seat belts.
“The department has proposed that Perodua offer special packages to owners of these Kancil and Kenari models to install rear seat belts.
“They have three years to do that,” he told reporters here yesterday.
Transport Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat had announced that the Government would enforce the ruling requiring backseat passengers to wear safety belts beginning June.
However, no summonses will be given out until the end of August.
The ruling, which is only effective for cars registered after January 1995, is said to be able to prevent 350 road deaths a year.
Suret Singh also advised car owners whose vehicles were not fitted with rear seat belts not to have them installed at unauthorised workshops.
“They should instead go back to the car manufacturers. This is because retrofitting your cars with anchorage points for seat belts at these workshops may jeopardise the safety aspect of the cars and the passengers.
“This will not be money well spent. Some cars cannot be retrofitted with seat belts. That’s why the owners will have to refer to the manufacturers whether this can be done on their cars,” he said.
Suret Singh said that in cases where there were more than three backseat passengers, the person not wearing the seat belt would not be fined.
“This is because usually, there are only three seatbelts in the back seat. However, about 91% of the time, there are three or fewer passengers in the back,” he said, adding that police cars and Road Transport Department vehicles would also be required to have rear seat belts except in high-risk incidences.
The department, he added, would also carry out a campaign to promote the usage of baby and child car seats for children aged below 11 years.
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