The driving school curriculum in Malaysia is in need of improvement through tailored training in order to effectively enhance road safety among drivers, Road Safety Marshal Club president K. Balasupra­maniam has said, reported The Star.

This comes after a bus crash on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik claimed 15 lives, on a journey in a bus chartered by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students for the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays from Jertih, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim where UPSI is located. A policy is being drafted for speed limiters to be mandatory in heavy vehicles, said transport minister Anthony Loke.

“While the existing curriculum is adequate, additional training tailored to drivers’ specific needs – like managing automatic versus manual buses or navigating difficult terrains such as Cameron Highlands – is crucial. It is necessary to equip drivers with survival skills and defensive driving techniques specific to their routes,” Balasupramaniam said.

The club president emphasised the importance of to ‘3M factor’ of man, machine and maintenance, saying that a holistic approach involving not just driver training, but also educating others in support of safer driving habits is essential, he added.

The responsibility of vehicle maintenance falls not just to the driver, but also on the mechanics and the policies of the company owning the vehicle, the club president said.

“If a company limits its budget, leading to inadequate vehicle upkeep, it ultimately falls on the driver when malfunctions occur. This blame game is avoidable if we focus on 3M: the preparedness of the driver, the performance of the machine and thorough maintenance,” he added.

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