Transport ministry considering mandatory defensive driving courses for drivers with traffic offence records

The transport ministry is considering the possibility of making defensive driving courses mandatory, particularly for drivers with traffic offence records or those with suspended licences, reported Bernama.

The consideration is part of the transport ministry’s efforts toward improving the existing curriculum, with greater focus on practical driving skills and accident avoidance instead of merely passing licence tests, transport minister Anthony Loke has said.

“This is a new approach we want to introduce, either by mandating or encouraging drivers with suspended licences and similar cases to return for defensive driving courses or undergo training on safer and more responsible driving to prevent accidents,” Loke said, in response to Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) regarding the proposal to review the motorcycle licence training curriculum.

Regarding motorcyclists, the transport ministry and the education ministry have agreed to implement more targeted interventions, particularly among school students who ride motorcycles to school.

The MyLesen B2 programme, which had offered free B2 motorcycle licenses to those in the B40 group, will now be targeted at secondary schools to ensure student motorcyclists receive formal and structured training in order to reduce accidents due to inexperience.