ANOTHER month, another commercial vehicle driver high on drugs gets caught up in a horrendous traffic accident. The only difference this time: no deaths, only serious injuries, after a lorry driver ploughed into 11 vehicles in Shah Alam.
In June, a lorry driver, also high on drugs, was involved in an accident on the Karak Expressway that left four people dead. The driver in the Shah Alam accident tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine; drugs that increase alertness and energy but cause long-term damage to the body.
Drivers turn to these stimulants to fight fatigue and endure gruelling hours with tight delivery deadlines. Drivers continue to risk lives under exploitative structures that pay per trip rather than through fixed salaries.
In maximising income, drivers push themselves to exhaustion, turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.
Why are drug-impaired drivers caught only after serious accidents, rather than through preemptive enforcement?
The authorities have been unable to abolish trip-based and incentive-driven payments because of deeply entrenched legal, economic and operational hurdles.
The real solution lies in strict regulations, mandatory safety frameworks and legislative interventions. While offenders are penalised, transport companies and their directors — though liable under Land Public Transport Agency regulations — rarely face sanctions or are brought to court.
A key commercial rule requires lorry drivers to take a 30-minute break after four hours of continuous driving. In reality, the practice is ignored.
Then there are healthcare interventions through the Social Security Organisation, and health check vouchers for drivers to monitor wellness and catch chemical dependencies. However, these checks are voluntary.
Most drivers refuse to take them up, fearing a stain on their records. Under the 2027 Budget, the government will amend the Road Transport Act to make direct financial compensation mandatory for motorists who cause accidents while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It is a "getting blood from a stone" scenario: most commercial vehicle drivers do not have the means to pay for major medical care or damages.
If they are jailed and stripped of an income, the victims are left with no way to get compensation. The same goes for insurance companies which will not foot the bill for medical care or damages caused by drivers under the influence of drugs.
Another proposal is mandatory installation of telematics and monitoring systems for commercial vehicles. The idea is to stop transport companies from forcing drivers into illegally long hours just to earn commissions.
For now, the Road Transport Department is targeting drug screening at freight depots, logistics hubs, rest areas, toll plazas and other locations. It's a question of increasing screenings, particularly for drivers using high-risk routes.
Regardless, road users cannot wait for another tragedy before enforcement is strengthened.
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