Did you know that driving with your cabin light on at night is an offence?
It can be quite strange to drive in Malaysia especially with its group of weird drivers and road conditions. Besides that, there are other ‘rules’ that could get you into trouble as well. We list out a few.
Seat belts
A lot of Malaysians like to drive without the seat belts on. In fact, some of them make it look like it is an offence to buckle in. This is an international rule. You need to drive with your seat belts on.
And you need to fasten it before you start driving. If you are driving and the police spot you trying to buckle up, you are in trouble.
And YES!, rear seat belts are mandatory too.
Yellow Light
Don’t matter if it is yellow or orange. If you drove past when the lights were turning, then it becomes contentious. Unless you are in some dire hurry, crossing a traffic light when the lights turn yellow could get you into trouble. After all, you can debate till the cows come home and then be summoned before appearing in court to claim your innocence. Stop if you can, wait for the next round.
Interior lights
Yes, it is an offence to drive with your cabin lights on. It is hazardous as it can lead to accidents by distorting the vision of vehicles on the opposite side.
I forgot to bring driving license
If the traffic police stops you, you better have your driving license with you. This means that you should be having your I/C too. Because if you do not have it with you, you have broken the law. So, saying that you ‘forgot’ will not do.
I am new
No one really cares if you are a new or old driver. Having a ‘P’ sticker does not give you the right to break rules in any way. If you are stopped by the police, the ‘P’ will bring you nowhere.
Following the ambulance through and emergency
When you are stuck in the traffic jam, you hear the siren and the ambulance is wheezing past traffic with vehicles giving way in between. Then there are the low-lifers who follow the ambulance in trying to get past the jam. This is an offence because you could be obstructing the flow of traffic for the emergency vehicle. Basically, it is almost like not giving way to the vehicles.