The Ambulance Road Hog And 2 Driving Tips We Can Learn From The Malaysians
Many were aghast to read The New Paper’s Thursday headline about a road hog deliberately preventing a private ambulance from overtaking it. You can read the article, also carried by MyPaper here.
However what’s worse is the fact the casualty being conveyed then (on Tuesday) is now warded in an Intensive Care Unit. Her son who filmed the obstruction for a whole 5 minutes (plus some more unrecorded) was extremely angry, as his mother (the casualty) had slipped into a semi-conscious state when they finally reached the hospital. You can view part of his video recording at this blogger’s post. She sustained a heart illness as well as sepsis (an inflammation of the body). Needless to say both are life threatening illnesses and every minute saved/delayed during the transfer from home to hospital can have far reaching consequences.
This was a most selfish and reprehensible act, and what’s more galling is the fact, the driver of the Hyundai Matrix, deliberately took measures to prevent the ambulance (with flashing lights and siren blaring no less), from overtaking it. He slowed down deliberately and when the ambulance tried to overtake from the left, immediately sped up to prevent passage, thereafter slowing down again.
It must follow that Traffic Police (TP) has to take immediate action to bring this driver to task and keep him off the roads. It’s hoped that the Courts will not just suspend his license, but revoke it and preferably impose a short custodial sentence, to send a clear message to like minded persons.
Yes unfortunately there is a small percentage of drivers who deem themselves as ‘road supervisors.’ They believe so long as they drive within the speed limit, they need not bother to give way to other vehicles or let them pass/overtake. They also deem which emergency vehicles qualify as ‘emergencies.’ Private ambulances do not fall into this category according to them. Yes, I’ve come across a few posts in various forums like SgForums for example, where users simply brush off private ambulances, as mere transport vehicles sending non-emergency cases like the flu or muscle aches, and as such do not need to be accorded any ‘right of way.’ Some even declare that these ambulance drivers are just purposely switching on their sirens and flashing lights for the thrill of it.
This is especially erroneous, private ambulances can convey the same grave emergencies as the Civil Defense (SCDF) ambulances. In fact there are several instances where private ambulances are directly requested by the SCDF to convey patients to hospitals as their own ambulances are all engaged with calls. Lentor Ambulance frequently does this as do some others. Or it can be as this particular incident – the patient wanted to be conveyed to a specific hospital, however it’s not possible with SCDF ambulances who must send patients to the designated hospital assigned to each area. As such, her son called a private ambulance, who are not restricted by boundaries. But it was still a grave emergency all the same. Finally while private ambulances usually convey non-emergency cases, it can swiftly turn into an emergency en-route, especially with elderly patients who can suffer breathing difficulties or seizures from what was just initially a minor ailment.
As such please always give way to any emergency vehicle, even a normal SCDF truck if it has its blinking lights on. It might not be a fire engine, but it could be transporting vital equipment or personnel to a serious incident attended by ambulance and fire engine crews. Don’t attempt to assume or pass judgment. Yes there have been some complaints by about some private ambulance drivers or SCDF crews abusing ‘their legally mandated right of way entitlement,’ but this has been very few and far between. Maybe 1 case out of a 1000 or even higher. 99.9% of the time, they genuinely are attending or conveying, an emergency or sick person. Every minute counts in an emergency. A person can die or suffered permanent disability within a minute.
To emphasise and strangely coincidental, Starhub is playing old Alfred Hitchcock short films. The particular one shown on Wednesday night, was a case where a driver deliberately refused to let a pickup with a stricken boy (gored by a bull) pass. The delay caused him to lose the very amount of blood required for survival.
Two Essential Driving Tips We Can Learn From The Malaysians
Remember getting ready for your first drive into Malaysia? I’m sure many of you before embarking on your maiden journey across the border, have heard ‘horror stories’ about driving there. These include ’crazy and reckless Malaysian drivers,’ the amount of serious and fatal accidents especially on highways, ‘strong winds that can blow you off course (Angin Lintas),’ the mind sapping and ultra slow congestion during peak hours and even ‘unlicensed drivers.’
I am sure many of you balked at the thought of making the trip, or were very guarded, careful and concerned about your maiden journey. More so if it involved travelling along the North-South Highway. I know I was. In fact looking back now and the uncountable number of times, I’ve made the journey up North, the same conditions still exist! You see drivers and motorists zigzagging through traffic, it looks messy, even careless or reckless, people still speed excessively on the highways (including Singapore drivers who are finally free of TP’s numerous speed cameras), accidents are usually horrific (even famed DAP politician and lawyer Karpal Singh succumbed to it, the 1st paralysed him and the 2nd this year killed him), traffic jams are ‘uber massive’ (you even see people driving tractors on busy roads as a mode of transport!), ‘Mat Rempits’ (motorcycle gangs) are a menace and unlicensed drivers still ply the roads!
Very unlike Singapore, with its plethora of rules and uniformity. Driving in Malaysia looks like a ‘driver’s worst nightmare.’ But alas, looks can be deceiving and it’s very much evident once you get a grip on how to negotiate this ‘so called nightmare.’ In fact I’ll go so far as to say, I’ve really enjoyed my trips up North and driving there was really quite fun even bordering on ‘pleasure.’ Yes, Malaysia has the same set of rules as Singapore and yes, many are ignored routinely. (Of course don’t try beating a red light or speeding at death defying speeds). But somehow Malaysians have come up with 2 very simple and basic ‘unwritten’ rules, that in essence encapsulates what driving in Malaysia is really all about. Follow them and you should have no problems. Of course you cannot mitigate for their massive jams (you may even realise that the COE system is not altogether bad, if it was managed more reasonably, of course), but these 2 unwritten rules or 1 of them at least, kicks out the angst we feel when stuck in a ‘turtle slow jam.’
And here it is:
1) Always let a faster vehicle overtake
No such thing as what many ‘road supervisors’ here advocate – ‘I’m travelling within the speed limit (eg: 90kmh), there’s no need for me to allow a car travelling behind me at a faster speed through. He either overtakes from the left or just simply plays follow the leader.’
In Malaysia, especially on highways, you always allow a faster vehicle to overtake you. You can drive on the fastest lane on the right, no problem, you can be going at 150kmh too, but if there’s a car behind you going at 160kmh, you let him pass. In Singapore we don’t really feel the effect of speed. There’s very little difference between travelling at 80-90 kmh and say 110-120kmh. You may arrive at your destination a few minutes earlier that’s all. But in Malaysia, if you’re travelling great distances, you fully understand what 80kmh and 110kmh means. It means you travel 30kmh further each hour at the latter speed. And some people have to travel great distances to and from work.
But even if the other driver’s desire to go faster is not work related, that’s immaterial. It’s plain common courtesy to let him pass. He may want to drive ‘like a man possessed and at dangerous speeds,’ that’s his choice entirely, no concern of yours. You are travelling at a slower speed, you filter left, let him through and you can go back on the right most lane thereafter. And if you’re the faster car, the vehicle ahead of you will almost always let you pass as well. No home bias on Malaysian roads. No need to flash your high beam, tail-gate within a hair’s breath etc, once the driver spots you in his rear view mirror, he’ll do the needful.
And the same applies on normal roads as well. You are new to the area and trying to find a particular establishment, you don’t keep right, go at ‘snail’s pace’ whilst looking out for the venue. You keep left and drive as slowly as you wish, until you find the place.
2) The vehicle in front/ahead of you always goes first, irrespective of your right of way
Of course I don’t mean if you’re travelling at a faster speed on say a highway, you deliberately slow down/stop to let a slower vehicle go into your lane.
This rule applies almost always to city driving, especially at intersections and those ‘uber massive jams.’ Eg: say you stopped at a red light in the middle lane, suddenly without warning the car on your left inches forward of your vehicle and wants to go onto your lane when the lights change. Or say in a jam, a few motorcyclists (very common there) all congregate and basically surround your car. All of them in doing so, are ‘slightly ahead of your vehicle.’ What is your response in these 2 scenarios?
Do you insist on your right of way, and pretend or ignore these vehicles? Since you are the only 1 actually complying with the rule and maintaining proper lane discipline, can you just drive on regardless or dare them into a potential accident, which you believe will declare yourself blameless? Many Singaporean drivers here will adopt this attitude. Very few will give you access.
But in Malaysia, you must, yes, you must, let them pass ahead of you, unless it’s totally not safe to allow it. To negotiate the daily grind of massive jams, drivers there have to use a different set of skills and common-sense, to get out of it. Jockeying for position is very common-place and it really is a stress reliever during these frustrating jams as well. You can take the best route or lane you think that will help you cope and get out easier.
And believe me, as a foreign driver in a different city, we are more likely than the ‘natives’ of getting lost or being in the wrong lane. Unlike Singapore, if there’s a filter lane or exit/entry into a ramp leading to a Highway in Malaysia, there’s just that 1 lane most of the time. Miss it and you’ll have to go 1 huge round to get back into the correct lane. So very often, we need to perform a ‘minor stunt’ and inch ourselves across lanes or forwards in order to line up properly for the requisite lane. And once again, most Malaysians will simply let you pass. Unlike here, very few will honk, especially if you raise the proper hand gesture.
In just following these 2 basic and very simple unwritten rules, you realise ‘there’s actually method amidst the mayhem.’ Most will observe, very few will ignore. Usually these are the ‘real blur – 1 straight line pony’ type of drivers (every country has them), the newbies and surprise, surprise, you’ll spot a familiar registration plate beginning with the letter ‘S’ on their vehicles.
Conclusion
Of course, one must be conscious of existing road conditions in spite of these 2 ‘unwritten rules.’ You cannot just simply follow or execute them, if it’s dangerous to do so. You shouldn’t for example cut in front of a bus or lorry on its ‘blindside’ and expect to be allowed to pass first, just because you’re now in ‘pole position.’ And you don’t simply drive at reckless speeds on the main highways and always presume the slower car ahead of you will automatically filter left, to let you through, and make no attempt to slow down whatsoever. And of course, since these are unwritten rules, you shouldn’t boldly perform them in the presence of a Malaysian policeman, although most won’t bat an eyelid at a common-place occurrence.
Do use a bit of common sense. But basically all you really need to be is courteous, understanding and follow the style of driving the Malaysians employ. It’s their country, remember? But shouldn’t these unwritten rules be followed here as well? Imagine always letting a faster car overtake when it’s safe to do so. Imagine giving way as a norm, not because you simply have ‘right of way?’
"I caught a bad driver on video today! Let's put it up on Stomp, so we can tell the whole world! Doesn't matter that the driver in question isn't actually inconveniencing me or he's made a slight mistake and missed his turn. We must shame him!" - This is the attitude of many drivers here, instead of just letting him pass and moving on with the rest of their lives, they enter into a battle of superiority on the road! Give way? No way!
And what exactly do you lose in the process? Maybe 3-5 seconds of your life, or let’s be generous and say 10 seconds. But you feel good, the other party feels good, your frustrations behind the wheel dissipate. You don’t honk needlessly and nobody honks at you needlessly.
On the flip side, what do you get if you stick to your guns? You don’t give way, you put extra pressure on your driving. From relaxed, you shoot-up to stressed. You curse and get cursed. And you don’t get any prizes for winning ‘your ridiculous battle of wits,’ like the Matrix driver. Instead you jeopardise the safety and health of someone else. You will not understand or know if (if say with another car), the driver who wants to overtake or go first, has something really important to attend to. Maybe his child has lost his way or is missing, maybe there’s a medical emergency, maybe there’s a huge reason not to be late (say a flight and even work) or maybe plain simply, he has an urgent and unmistakable call of nature. These are not far fetched, I’ve experienced every single one of these, and I’m sure many other drivers too. Yes, we are sorry, yes, we know we’re at fault, and yes, maybe TP will ‘haul our ass up’ (to be a bit crude). But can you just all the same, just let us pass? You go your way and I go mine, a mere 5-10 second interaction between us, 2 strangers, unlikely to be in the same scenario ever again.
Simple right? If only Singaporean drivers pause and think about it. And yes, there are still things we can learn from our nearest neighbours. These are definitely 2 of them. Malaysia Boleh, anyone?
Sir Nelspruit
*The author blogs at Anyhow Hantam.