KUCHING: Accidents and fatalities on the road in the Padawan area have near doubled in the last two years.
A worried Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang on Tuesday appealed to all motorists to keep safety foremost on their mind when they get behind the wheel.
Shortly after a full council meeting he disclosed that there were 1,528 road accidents in 2021 with 14 fatalities, while there were 2,065 cases with 25 fatalities within the council’s jurisdiction last year.
“The accident rate on the roads is very high and there could also have been collisions that were not reported,” he said in expressing concern.
“This is a very important message to our drivers – be more cognisant, tolerant and courteous when driving,” he said.
Lo reminded motorists that they played a crucial role in keeping road users safe and preventing accidents, particularly by driving and riding courteously.
“Maintain your speed on the road and adhere to all traffic regulations,” he said, adding, “disregarding the rules and the law will lead to more accidents.”
He said the leading causes of traffic fatalities and injuries were speeding, reckless driving, using mobile devices while driving, and drink-driving.
In another development, he identified four dengue outbreak localities, namely Stapok Selatan, Everbright Park, Taman Phoenix, and Kampung Karu, stating that 57 cases of dengue fever were reported in MPP areas.
Last year, 16,165 establishments, including stores, homes and schools, were inspected and prevention measures such as fogging were implemented in areas with high Aedes index scores.
“Fogging is only effective to kill adult mosquitoes.
“By getting rid of all superfluous empty containers, empty vases, and other naturally occurring habitats that collect stagnant water, we can ensure that our living spaces are free from breeding grounds and stop the spread of the disease.”
There is a need to be particularly careful to prevent the collection of stagnant water, especially during the rainy and flooding season, he added.
