KUALA LUMPUR: The trend of installing the dashboard camera or dashcam in vehicles has been hailed as a positive development.
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) said the installation of the dashcam was in tandem with the efforts of Miros and the Transport Ministry to encourage the public to be the “eyes and ears” of the authorities in providing information, including on road accidents.
Its director-general, Dr Siti Zaharah Ishak, said the dashcam would be able to record everything that happened on the road and this could serve as additional information to identify the cause of accidents.
“For example, when an accident occurs, driver negligence is often initially cited as the cause. However, after an investigation with the aid of the dashcam, it is found that other factors were the cause, such as a burst tyre sending the vehicle out of control,” she told Bernama.
Social media users may remember having seen a viralled dashcam recording of an accident on Jan 20 where a sports utility vehicle veered off the Penang Bridge into the sea, resulting in the drowning of private college student Moey Yun Peng, 20.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said recently he realised the benefits of the dashcam but added that the government had no plan as yet to make it compulsory for all motorists to install the gadget as it did not wish to impose an additional financial burden on them.
Nevertheless, Loke praised the initiative of vehicle owners who installed the dashcam.
Siti Zaharah said dashcams should be installed in ambulances, police patrol vehicles and fire & rescue trucks to facilitate the operation of the security and rescue teams.
“Ambulances need space to get past other vehicles on the road but they can find irresponsible motorists not getting out of their way. The dashcam can provide the information on these motorists,” she said.
She said all motorists were encouraged to install a dashcam although it was not mandatory because it was an easy process and the price of one could be as low as RM40 depending on the specifications.
“It is easy to install, just plug and play. It does not interfere with the vehicle system. The basic function is to record. Some versions have the additional function of recording at night. Some dashcams come with an accident warning system,” she said.
A civil servant, Syed Iylia Hariz Syed Izman, 31, said he installed a dashcam in his car two years ago after learning from the social media of the various incidents of cheating over accidents as well as hit-and-run accidents.
“For me, a dashcam is very important, especially when my wife is driving alone. She will not become a victim of road bullies in the event of an accident,” he said.
A private sector employee, Rizuwan Zaini, 30, advised motorists who wanted to install a dashcam not to hesitate in buying a gadget with high recording quality.
He said the dashcam he installed in his vehicle in 2016 at a cost of RM400 has front and rear cameras and can record clearly even at night.
“It can be installed fast, in less than two hours. Therefore, it is not wrong to spend some time and money to have it installed. It may be of help one day,” he said. — Bernama
