In an earlier article written pertaining to traffic offenses which drivers may have committed against the Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987 (A.P.J.), some of the offenses have been highlighted for your perusal.

In this article, I will again highlight 10 other offenses, albeit lesser important ones, which many drivers might not be aware of. The list is as follow.

1) Brake Not Functioning.

Many drivers may not be aware, but brakes not functioning represent an offense. Should you be involved in a serious accident, you can be rest assured that the Road Transport Authorities will require your vehicle to be sent for a checkup to determine the condition of your brakes.

Circular K.15 (9) MV (C/U) LN 170/59, that makes it mandatory for a vehicle’s brakes to be checked. Under Section 119 (2), an offender can be fined a sum of RM300.

2) Allowing passengers to alight or ascend a vehicle and in the process hampers traffic flow.

I am rather certain this is one offense many drivers are unaware of. In allowing passengers to alight, or for that matter ascend a vehicle, the driver should see to it his vehicle is parked close to the side of the road shoulder. Failure to do this will via Circular K16RTR get the driver a summons for RM200. The court, under Section 119 (2), can impose for the above sum to be enacted upon you.

3) Beating a traffic light.

This is a very common traffic offense committed by many drivers. Making a mention to it again is not a waste of time. Under Circular K17 and 18 TS (LN 167/59) cites a driver committing an offense. Again Section 119 (2) allows the court authorities to impose a fine of RM300 on you.

4) Side doors and back doors of a vehicle not being closed tightly.

This action is considered dangerous action committed by a driver. As such, a driver driving a car in such a condition can under Circular K22 RTR, charge a driver. And under Section 119 (2) again, a driver is likely to receive a RM300 fine for it.

5) Motorcycles not fitted with handle bar mirrors.

Not having both the right and the left handle bar mirrors is an offense in Malaysia. Action by the authorities on motorcycles is provided for by Circular 21 MV (C/U). The court judge can under Section 119 (2) can fine a motorcyclist a sum of RM100 for the offense.

6) Wipers which are not functioning.

I remember, a Datsun 120Y used for tutoring students way back in the 1970s was found to have infringed Circular 23 MV (C/U), and under Section 119 (2) of the R.T.O. 1987. I received a J.P.J. summons of RM150.

7) Horn not functioning well.

Are you aware that if during a road block, the authorities, be it the Police or J.P.J., should find that your car horns are not functioning, Circular K24 MV (C/U) can get you charged under Section 119 (2) for a sum of RM150.

8) Indicator or signals not working.

Indicators and signals should always be in working condition. The above not working is obviously an offense as Circular K25 (MV (C/U) says very vividly that you have contravene a traffic offense. Do you know that the court can very well imposed a RM150 fine on you?

9) Brake lights not functioning.

Circular 26 MV (C/U) says clearly that a driver has committed a traffic offense. And under Section 119 (2), a driver is liable to be fined a sum of RM150. All these are sad but nonetheless true.

10) No mud flaps on vehicle.

A car that is not fitted by mud flaps has committed an offense and the driver can likely be fined as much as RM150. Circular K31 MV (C/U) allows a driver to be cited for an offense. Section 119 (2) says you can be fined a sum of RM150 for it.

10 seem to be a rather nice figure. As such, I feel that it should stop temporarily for the time being, as too many examples may lead to some readers getting bored. Until that next time around, drive carefully!

You may not believe it, but most students who go to driving schools or institutes for driving lessons commit simple mistakes when meeting their driving instructor.

In this article, I will attempt to highlight 7 of the common mistakes which all new driving students usually make.

1) Not wearing shoes.

To wear slippers and not shoes is one of the most common mistakes made by most students. Road Transport Department rules and regulations insist that students should only wear shoes and not slippers.

I have yet to come across incident of the authorities ever stopping a driving school vehicle and imposing stern actions against it. Whatever it is, driving school instructors should always, as they say, “Be prepared” for such eventualities to happen.

What about ladies who wear high heels while coming for their driving lessons? Are such shoes ever allowed or encouraged? The answer to the above question is an emphatic “No, no”. It is not only not encouraged at all, it is in fact not to be allowed in the first place.

2) Not wearing seat belts.

Most students who take up driving lessons comprises of young drivers nowadays. These students are usually inexperienced and some have never driven cars before.

These students, due to the fact that they seldom drive, tend to forget the wearing of seat belts. But not wearing a seat belt is in fact a RM300 fine under the Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987.

To avoid being caught for such an offense, the driving instructor is therefore reminded to see to it that before moving off, students wear or put on their seat belts before beginning a driving lesson.

Assuming, a student forgets to wear his or her seat belt and is stopped by either the J.P.J. or the police, who then is responsible? The instructor or the student? Who then pays or settles the fine imposed?

Thinking about this portion deeply, the instructor is paid for instructing his students. In this respect, it is therefore the instructor who is at fault. It is he who has to pay for the mistake the student commits.

3) Not ensuring that no cars or vehicles are approaching from the right or back before driving off.

The above is a very common mistake committed by most new students. They tend not to ensure that cars or vehicles are approaching from either the back or from the right before taking off. Accidents can very easily happen if undue care is not taken.

New students are normally forgetful over such things. Therefore, the driving instructor is advised to see to it their students whom they are instructing make it a point to see that no vehicles are approaching from the right or back before moving off.

4) Not releasing the handbrake before driving off.

Not releasing the handbrake is another common mistake made by students. They fail to remember that before a vehicle moves off, the handbrakes have to be released. So, driving instructors are therefore advised, make sure this important item of a vehicle is down before the student and the instructor move off.

In short, a good instructor should always be on the lookout and making sure the student make it a point to release the handbrake before moving off.

5) Forgetting to step on the clutch when stopping.

To stop a vehicle requires the clutch being applied. Failure to do the above will result in a vehicle’s engine stalling or dying off.

As most students are new and not too well versed with this requirement, make it a point to remind students that they have to remember to step on the clutch should they intend to stop. Only when students have learnt enough lessons will they be able to remember stepping on the clutch when they wish to stop.

6) Not closing the door tightly after entering a car.

I observe very often students on entering a car fail to close the door tight enough. This results in the cabin light lightening up, which indicates that the doors are not shut properly. New students will not be aware of this mistake. Students will therefore have to be told of their mistakes over and over again.

7) Trying to push the car into first gear while the car is still moving.

As a driver, are you aware that it is wrong to push the car or vehicle into first gear whist it is still moving? Some students, due to their ignorance, tend to do this whilst they are driving.

A student should be told not to attempt pushing or engaging a car into gear one should it be still in motion. Doing this will eventually spoilt the gear system of a vehicle.

The driving instructor should possess the responsibility of advising students that they should only resort to pushing the gears into 1st gear when the car or vehicle is at a dead stop or stationary.

The above are 7 common mistakes which new students commit when they come for their driving lessons. As a responsible driving instructor, it is your duty to see to it that no such mistakes are committed.

Many of our blog readers have written in to ask where they can get a copy of the Kursus Pendidikan Pemandu (KPP) book in English version. As it turns out, it is quite hard to find a hard copy of the KPP book in English version.

Nonetheless, I managed to locate a copy of the KPP English version in PDF format. As of August 2010, it is still available for download but I am not sure how long the link will be available. The file is 10.21 MB, hence it will take quite sometime to download.

==> Click here to download KPP English version!