Seat belts serve as the main safety measure for drivers, helping to minimise the effects of collisions.
A DUMMY buckle is a vehicle accessory that resembles a real seat belt buckle. Using this accessory will silence the sound of the seatbelt reminder.
Based on online observations, it can be identified by various names such as seat belt stop plug, seat belt inserts, insert hooks that eliminate car alert sounds, and car seat belt clip buckle, among others.
This product is widely sold at vehicle accessory stores or online portals and can be purchased for as low as RM5 per unit.
Despite its small size, the dummy buckle poses a significant safety risk to vehicle occupants. Its use encourages drivers and passengers to bypass wearing seat belts, leading to unsafe behaviour while on the road.
Seatbelt laws for drivers and front passengers have been enforced through the Road Transport Act 1987 since April 1, 1979. The government has also mandated the use of rear seat belts since Jan 1, 2009.
Using a dummy buckle can result in severe injury or even death of the driver and passengers in the event of a road crash.
Investigations by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) have linked several fatal accidents to the use of dummy buckles.
Even when airbags are deployed properly, relying on a dummy buckle increases the risk of severe injury or fatality during an accident.
This is because seat belts and airbags must work in unison to protect passengers from chest injuries caused by impacts with the steering wheel or dashboard.
Seat belts are the primary protection system for drivers to reduce the impact of crashes. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag only serves asadditional support to the seat belt in the event of crashes.
Furthermore, dummy buckles lack the standards and specifications of original seat belt buckles.
In Feb 2021, Miros conducted a 56 km/h crash test at its PC3 Malacca Laboratory, using a dummy buckle in the rear passenger seat.
The test revealed that the dummy buckle detached during the impact, leading to severe injuries to both rear and front passengers.
Research by Miros found that 12.9% of 326 respondents admitted to using dummy buckles, raising concerns about future trends. While this percentage may seem small, it presents a serious threat to passenger safety.
Given the widespread availability of dummy buckles, both in physical stores and online, there is an urgent need to implement regulations in Malaysia that effectively ban their sale and usage.
All parties, including ministries, departments and agencies, need to play an important role in resolving this issue.
In addition to ongoing campaigns and advocacy by related agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it is essential to work closely with all e-commerce platforms to halt the sale of these dangerous accessories.
Najwa Shaari is a research officer at the Miros Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Centre.
