SHAH ALAM - Motorists are being strongly advised not to disregard speeding or tailgating fines issued by the police for exceeding stipulated speed limits.
Lawyer Muhammad Akram Abdul Aziz said that neglecting these fines could lead to stricter actions being taken against the errand road users.
This is because, he said, when the fines are sent to the registered address, the vehicle owners still have the right to provide explanations about the offenses, including if the vehicle was driven by someone else or if the vehicle number was falsified.
Muhammad Akram clarified that fundamentally, a tailgating fine is a process whereby vehicle owners are asked to provide relevant details or information regarding the committed traffic offenses.
"In reality, vehicle owners have the right to provide explanations about the alleged offenses, such as informing the authorities about the identity of the driver who operated the vehicle (if it wasn't the vehicle owner).
If there are more serious circumstances (such as if the vehicle's license plate was used by someone else or falsified), the vehicle owner should inform the authorities within the specified time frame.
In other words, the opportunity is currently given to vehicle owners to provide reasonable explanations especially if the involved individual didn't commit any offense," he told Sinar yesterday.
He made these comments when asked to comment on the statement made by the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) regarding the implementation of speeding and tailgating fine operations nationwide starting Monday.
Bukit Aman JSPT deputy director Datuk Mohd Nasri Omar yesterday announced that the operation was carried out to detect road users who exceed the enforced speed limits according to Section 79(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Following this, he said that traffic offenders detected for such offenses on federal roads and highways would be issued fines and K170A fine notices that will be sent to their respective residential addresses.
Further elaborating, Muhammad Akram mentioned that vehicle owners who fail to respond or provide explanations within the given time frame might also face arrest warrants to appear in court if they fail to provide any feedback.
"As previously stated, this tailgating fine is fundamentally a process where vehicle owners are asked to provide relevant details or information regarding the committed traffic offenses. If there's no response, they are at risk of being fined or summoned to court to provide an answer regarding the alleged offenses," he said.
In this regard, he said, it's better for vehicle owners to cooperate with the authorities as soon as they receive such fines instead of adopting a passive approach.
He emphasized that remaining silent indirectly shows that the involved individual doesn't take the established laws seriously.
"Therefore, this process (providing explanations) should be used as effectively as possible to avoid regrets later on," he said.