Auto Show Minneapolis, Minnesota: Nissan Skyline GTR, Audi R8 and Mitsubishi Lancer Photos

1. On 15th March 2008, my good friend, Iftishah and his wife's grandfather went to the car show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to him, it was really amazing to be there. I browse the photos he took from the Minnepolis Auto show (Dr Brutalica Multiply) and really mesmerized by the beauty of the cars shown there.

2. However, from those awesome pictures took by him, I love the new Mitsubishi Lancer, Skyline GT-R (US finally imports a skyline) and Audi R8 photos more than others. Photos of said gorgeous cars are shown below.

Red Mitsubishi Lancer

Silver Nissan Skyline GTR

White Audi R8

7 Dead and 15 Injured Tour Bus Crashes Near Hoover Dam [Photos]

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a tour bus overturned on a highway near the Hoover Dam, killing at least seven passengers and injuring at least 15. A DPS news release says the crash occurred about 4 p.m. Friday in northwestern Arizona. The authority was not sure how many occupants actually inside the bus, but based on my simple math calculation, it was 22 occupants, including the driver.

Six fatalities were confirmed on the scene, about 190 miles northwest of Phoenix; a seventh person died at a Las Vegas hospital, said Cmdr. Dean Nyhart with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Nyhart said the bus was traveling north on U.S. 93 when it veered left and then right across the median. It rolled at least once before stopping. Not enough information for me to tell the initial cause of the overturned. I suspect the bus driver tried to avoid something and ended up making huge steered and lost control.

He believes all but one of the victims killed at the scene had been ejected from the bus. Nyhart said five people had suffered life-threatening injuries. "We're hopeful that those people can be stabilized and at least the death toll stop where it is," he said. Hmm I thought US has bus seatbelt regulation already. Oh wait, the passengers were mostly Chinese.

The driver of the bus was among those in critical condition, he said. Nyhart said the tourists on the bus were Chinese nationals who had flown from Shanghai to San Francisco. Investigators were still searching for the bus manifest for more details on its route. He said investigators were struggling to identify the injured and were not certain how many passengers were on the bus or how many had been transported to hospitals.

"We're hearing anywhere from 15 to 20. So we're not even sure how many people were on board," he said. "We have passports, but it's going to be very difficult to ID the dead because those that are still alive are in critical condition. Many of the passports were left in the luggage as people were transported."

The crash closed down U.S. 93 in both directions. The highway is the main route between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Source: Yahoo News

Don't Park Your Lorry at Emergency Lanes

Few days ago, I read a news about the authority wants to ban the lorry from parking at emergency lanes. It is very interesting movement as lately lots of crash involving lorries which parked at the emergency lanes. The most significant one was a crash at PLUS highway near Rawang. The broken down lorry parked at the emergency lane got rammed by a car. 2 died. Few hours later, 80 metres from the scene, another crash happened. A lorry rammed rear end of the parked lorry and 2 died if I'm not mistaken. See how bad this problem is?

Lorry drivers should not park their vehicles along emergency lanes, even in the event of a breakdown, to prevent getting rammed from behind. Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh’s advice is to find a way to bring the vehicle to the nearest rest stop area. It is sounds really difficult. For example, my lorry broke down and can't move, so how the heck should I bring my lorry to the nearest rest stop area? However, I admit and without doubt think that such behavior (parking lorry at emergency lanes) could be a real hazard to the road users.

He said the department had asked lorry associations to come up with a circular advising lorry drivers against parking along the emergency lanes. Earlier, Suret Singh gave out coffee sachets to road users and crash helmets to motorcyclists at the Sungai Besi toll plaza. Yes, to not allow them to stop the vehicle on the emergency lanes, careful study need to be done. If the lorry can't move during the break down, what kind of alternative can be done? I'm thinking on strenghtening traffic management rules for broken vehicle like putting cones, calling highway rescue or anything related.

Some 10,000 sachets and 50 helmets were distributed to road users. The sachets and helmets were sponsored by CNI Holdings in the “One Million Up Cafe” giveaway campaign in conjunction with the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

On the proposal to ban express buses from roads after midnight, Suret Singh said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat would make the announcement in due time. On Saturday, Ong said he was contemplating whether to present the proposal to the Cabinet after seeking feedback from all stakeholders, including government agencies, bus operators and consumer groups.

The ministry wants the ban in a bid to improve road safety following a research by the Road Safety Department and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety (MIROS). The research showed a human being would encounter mental and physical fatigue after midnight, even if he had sufficient rest in the day. It's all about human biology clock. You think you can drive midnight after long sleep or rest, but in fact, you still feel sleepy when driving. Why so? Think.

Source: TheStar Online

Staying Safe in your Mustang Never Looked so Good

Simply put, Mustang owners love to customize their cars. And when they go out looking for parts for their Ponies on the Internet, there are a couple things they expect from the companies they purchase the products from: high-quality parts, easy-to-navigate store, low cost, fast shipping and outstanding customer service, to name a few. These are exactly what you can expect from AmericanMuscle, the #1 aftermarket Mustang parts dealer on the Internet.

Start your experience on AmericanMuscle with some excellent, brand new Mustang tires. Having durable and reliable tires not only protects the investment you've put into customizing your car, but the people inside it as well. Our huge selection of tires come in many different types and sizes, for Mustangs from 1987-2009, so you're sure to find ones that are perfectly suited to your personalized Pony.

In addition to multiple different performance mods, there are a slew of custom design features to be had as well. We're sure your Pony could benefit from some slick-looking Ford Mustang decals, no matter whether you want some classic bumper inserts or need to trick out your ride with a set of rocker stripes or Lemans stripes. These decals will make a huge difference to your Mustang's exterior design and give you a custom look you can't get any other way.

Now it's time to venture into your car and consider what modifications can be made there. One easy, yet significant change could come in the form of a set of Mustang seat covers. These seat covers will give your interior a totally new style, and they're functional as well! Constructed from super-durable Coolmax ultra breathable fabric, they are guaranteed to prevent that nasty summertime condition known only as: Scorched Butt.

And for those unfortunate times when you can't be in your Mustang enjoying the open road, we proudly offer a selection of Mustang Pics. You can check out what some great AmericanMuscle parts look like on our customer's Mustangs before you buy them! And, hey - if you've got a customized Mustang that you want show off on our site, just submit your pics and a little info about your ride and its custom parts, and you'll see it on AmericanMuscle in short order!.

MIROS Celebrates 2nd Year Anniversary At PERMATA Bangi, Selangor

1. In a blinking of an eye, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) has already reached its 2 years old age and powered by about 160 staffs. I feel like it is just yesterday I made the MIROS 1st anniversary post. Time is really moving fast without I realize it. What could a 2 years-old-baby can do at this moment? He/she can walk already right? I think that's the best thing to describe the institute. For the past years, the baby is progressing too fast, and in my opinion, it is time to slow the progression a bit. Why? The basic foundation of the institution must be hardened, if not, it will easily collapse.

2. Last year we celebrate the anniversary by playing bowling together with our brother, Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya (JKJR). But for 2009, we were actually not celebrating it. How we celebrate something when people are dying out there? That's just too irony right? Road safety is not something that I can compromise.

3. As stated in my road safety philosophy, When an airplane crashed, 100 persons died and the news will be remembered for at least 6 months. However, during those 6 months time, do you know that more than hundred thousands people died in the road crashes? Thus, some kind of promotion on the road safety issues need to be done and this will not only benefit Malaysia, but also to the whole world. Let's make the road safe for everyone. Let's work harder for 2009!

Smart Style for the Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is another fast, sporty car - which when driven recklessly can be potentially dangerous. Though it looks fast, and can go fast, it's important to drive this sportscar responsibly on the roads and highways. But just because it's not going fast doesn't mean it can't look, sound, and feel great - even while obeying the speed limit.

The 2009 base model starts at $49,415, so you definitely want to protect that investment by driving safely and taking other precautions to keep it looking showroom perfect, such as investing in Corvette seat covers. And when upgrading your suspension components, for more safety and handling, choose an oversized Corvette rim with an oversized height and width. Who knows - a new Corvette exhaust might even help out pedestrians to know when to cross.

And if we're talking about fast Corvettes, no conversation would be complete without mention of the Z06. Its aggressive style and performance make it tempting to drive this car too quickly on the road -but remember, it's better to take those kind of urges to a track and receive professional instruction under controlled conditions. Don't endanger others! And if you have a C6 and want to get the style, some Corvette Z06 wheels will get you that sleek, high-performance look too - or take it to the track for a track-day outing.

Safety is as much about knowing your car's limitations as it is about driving the speed limit. The high-powered Corvette isn't suited to driving in wet or icy conditions - so remember to put it away under a Corvette car cover when the weather turns bad, instead of trying to pretend you're a drift car driver. Your Corvette will appreciate it - and so will you.

Tragic Proton Wira Crash at PLUS Highway Tapah 3 Died

1. Yesterday, I was attending a crash case involving Proton Wira and Scania trailer at PLUS Highway near Tapah, Perak. As the news said, 3 died and 1 severely injured in the crash at which happening during heavy downpour. Basically, the Proton Wira was heading northbound towards Ipoh when suddenly the car lost control and hit the median.

2. The impact was then made the car spun and instantaneously got rammed at the side by an oncoming trailer from behind. Besides involving issue of crash compatibility where the geometry height and mass ratio of particular vehicles were not match each other, the crash also possibly involved issue of speeding. However, this is just based on the witness statement.

3. The weather was bad (heavy downpour) and the driver of the Proton Wira car was probably speeding (according to the survivor, the driver drove at 140km/h). Aqua planning might be the issue but the crash occurred at the quite elevated ground. So it's not possible for hydroplane to occur on the spot.

4. The tragic event that really touched my heart came following this story. The police told me that the survivor of the crash (a woman's) husband was dead. He was not in the crashed car for your information. So what is the cause of his death? As told by the policemen, he was died due to suffering severe hyper stress.

5. The unlucky guy didn't have enough money to support the medical treatment for his wife who suffered broken femur. The hospital needed him to pay rm3000 to implants "steel" for the crushed femur. At the same time, he just lost 3 family members from the accident. He was then falling sick and died. The villagers knew the story and collected the donation and be able to save the wife. But it's already late, the husband was already dead!

6. I wonder why general/government hospital's charging the patient? Am I too naive? As far as I knew, the government hospital is free of charge. Why charged people now?

7. Something that me and all of you to learn is that the road crash affected not only those who directly involved, but also those who have relationship with the victims. If we heard 4 casualties in the accident, actually it is not only 4, might be 6 or 10, or even 15 people affected. Let’s work harder to reduce the number of road accident victims. Also, PLEASE DONT DRIVE FAST (more than 100km/h) ON THE WET ROAD!!

Hospital Patient Killed in Ambulance-Trailer Crash at Jasin

JASIN: A patient was killed and three other people were injured when an ambulance hit the back of a trailer near the Lipat Kajang toll plaza along the North-South Expressway here yesterday. This is the recent crash news from Malaysia and I found it quite irony case. An ambulance is basically used to transfer sicked patient urgently to the hospital so that the patient can be saved. But the patient is dead due to road traffic accident along the way? I've been thinking that even ambulance shouldn't be allowed to drive fast on the road.

Jasin deputy police chief Asst Supt Jasmani Othman said stroke patient Tan Hee Moi alias Tan Yi Noi, 62, died on the spot while the ambulance driver, a hospital attendant and Tan’s 21-year-old son were injured. He said the accident occurred at 2.30pm while the ambulance was taking Tan from a private hospital in Selayang to Tan’s home in Taman Maluri, Ulu Tiram, Johor.

Jasmani said the ambulance driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle before it hit the back of the trailer laden with maize. The driver of the trailer was unhurt. The injured were taken to Jasin Hospital. Hmm see what the used of speeding and rush if the action can't guarantee your safety of the journey? We want to save a life but at the same time risking the lives of people around. How irony.

Source: TheStar Online

Rear Seat Belt Summons Can Be Cancelled

KUALA LUMPUR: Rear passengers in vehicles not fitted with rear seat belts but who were summoned by the police or the Road Transport Deprtment (RTD) can report to the Road Safety Department (JKJR) to have their summonses cancelled. JKJR director-general Datuk Suret Singh said issuing summonses to rear passengers in vehicles not fitted with rear seat belts was against the ruling announced by his department early this year. Huh this is another job for those "faulty-offender" to go the JKJR office and the cancelled the summon. Why the mistake is done on the first place anyway?

He said he had received information of several such cases in Johor Baharu and Penang and said this may have happened due to misunderstanding of instructions issued to RTD and police personnel. "We are saddened as the issuing of summonses does not follow the policy announced by JKJR. I'm getting confused too. Couple of people keep asking me where the heck can they get the sticker for rear seatbelt exemption. I'm not sure either. As far as I know, you need to go to Proton or Perodua to get the sticker but well, can we do easier thing for most people like putting special booth at supermarket for the "exempted-car" stickers? Help people, and people will help us on the next policy (hehe it's secret).

“Those affected can report to the department and we promise to have the summonses cancelled," Suret Singh told reporters after launching the 2009 Chinese New Year road safety advocation campaign on Friday.

He said, for now, only rear passengers in vehicles with rear seat belts but who do not use them will be summoned and that JKJR had given vehicle owners three years to get rear seat belts fitted.

"However, people are reminded to have rear seat belts fitted as soon as possible for their own and their family's safety," he said.

Suret also said 100,000 old model Kancil cars would be given exemption stickers as they did not have the three 'points' that were needed to fit rear seat belts. On another note, he said JKJR with the cooperation of the RTD and the Road Safety Marshall Club (RSMC) would help motorcycle riders who did not have licenses, especially in rural areas, to obtain them.

"Many have failed their tests many times so we will help them to get through," he said.

Those interested can go to www.rsmc.org.my for more information, he said. In another development, Suret Singh said, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, the speed limit for federal roads would be decreased to 80km/h from 90km/h and for state roads it would be decreased to 70km/h from 80km/h from Jan 19 till Feb 2. Aiseh I just realized that it is an OPS Bersepadu already..No holidays for meh..:(

"A 'Operasi Bersepadu' over 15 days beginning Jan 19 will be conducted involving 1,200 RTD staff and 5,000 police personnel," he said.

He said the operation would involve several intervention programmes on road safety like the monitoring of express buses and drivers at 28 locations throughout the country.

Source: Thestar Online

How to Check Your Car Tyre Expiry?

1. Do you know that your tires has expiry date.....Good thing you know that, but in case you miss out some info, I'll help you. To start with, vehicle tires have a 4-year validity period from their Date of Manufacture (DOM). Thereafter, the tire expires and may burst whilst in use. See how severe this problem is if you don't notice it in advance.

2. How to find out whether your tire has expired? First, check for a stamp like this: (*4002*). There is an asterisk at the beginning and at the end of this serial number (Some tires don't have asterisk).

3. The first two numbers 4 0 will tell which week of the year has it been manufactured. Note: One year has 52 weeks. The last two numbers represent the year of make. Therefore, *4002* shows that the said tire is manufactured in the 40th week of the year 2002. *4099* this shows that the tire is made in the 40th week of 1999.

4. Check all your tires for safety purposes. Do not use expired tires. They are likely to burst (especially when running in hot weather) because the rubber component may have hardened and cracked.

Irony Malaysian Driving Style. Funny.

1. Somebody has sent me through the email about this funny little jokes of Malaysian driving style. I believe this cartoon illustration is from either TheStar or the New Straits Times Newspaper, well I'm not too sure actually. But I found it is really funny. If you don't know, "bodoh" means stupid. :D

2. I personally had this kind of experience. I saw a driver in front of me driving with his baby at the steering wheel at Jalan Sultan Ismail, near Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. So my point here is this is not just a cartoon, this is a reality that Malaysian or whoever to take lesson. Putting the baby in front of you not only disturbing your driving focus, but also will endanger the baby if anything happens. So please think safety.

Shocking Car Accident in a Bicycle Tournament Lane

1. This picture makes me think of one big one. How could a car can be inside the bicycle tourney lane? Might me conclude that no place is safe anymore. We all just need to be careful on any day, any place and any time..

2. Description/Details of the news: In a photograph made available today, a car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico's northern border city of Matamoros on Sunday. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when a driver slammed into the bicycle race. (Jose Fidelino Vera Hernandez / Associated Press / June 1, 2008)

2 Singaporeans Died in a Car vs. Bus Crash at Kota Tinggi, Johor

KOTA TINGGI: Two Singaporeans were killed while another passenger also a Singaporean was seriously injured in a collision involving a car, a bus and a lorry at the 35th kilometre stretch of the Johor-Mersing road here yesterday. Nothing much could be seen from the picture. Seems like the main participants on this crash is just bus and the car. Oh by the way, this news I got from TheStar Online.

Car driver Lim Tow Kwan, 53, died on the spot while a woman passenger Lim Lan Fang, 55, died on the way to the Kota Tinggi Hospital in the 1.30pm incident here yesterday. Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Osman Mo­­hamed Sebot said another car passenger Lek Lang Eng, 49, has been admitted with multiple injuries. Hmm its weird, from the picture, looks like the victims were being thrown out from their car. See the rescuer crawling looking for something under the bus.

None of those who were in the bus or lorry were reported injured. “We are still investigating the matter,” he said, urging anyone with information to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or the nearest police station. Of course they will be no injury from either occupants of the bus or the lorry. There is an old saying, "Gajah bertemu gajah, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah". Huh.

Don't Use Helmet Aged More than 5 Years

1. Malaysia Transport minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat today is really anxiety about helmet that has been used more than 5 years. He released the statment due to the quality of aging helmets are doubtful and usually the lifespan of the helmet is just 5 years.

“Bahan topi keledar yang melebihi lima tahun mungkin sudah merosot, ini berasaskan kepada hasil kajian baik dari pihak MIROS (Institut Keselamatan Jalan Raya) atau badan antarabangsa,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

2. I wonder since when MIROS has this piece of information. The helmet research is still on going and the results are still long way to get. Hmm.

3. He also said something about the helmet must follow the standard from SIRIM. Yeah I think all the helmet at the market at the moment follow the standard from SIRIM. Is there none?

Beliau berkata kementeriannya telah mendapatkan kerjasama daripada Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna dan Kastam Diraja Malaysia bagi mempastikan barangan yang dipasarkan khususnya topi keledar menepati spesifikasi piawaian yang telah ditetapkan.

“Kita nak pastikan bahawa apa yang dipasarkan adalah barangan yang menepati spesifikasi piawaian dan topi keledar pun ada spesifikasi piawaianannya,” katanya.

From Car Allowance to the Road Crash Lesson

1. I was out with my friends today and one of them was working as a contractor. Most of the time he has to travel a lot going from places to places to meet with the clients. His company provides him with a company car and he even has car allowance to allow him to fuel up. So basically he can goes around anywhere for free.

2. I’m just wondering does he have to pay for the cost of repair if he were to involve in an accident since it is the company car. In my opinion, he should be bearing for the cost since he should be taking care of the car. Anyway, he told me that the company vehicles all have flexible and customizable Vehicle Reimbursement programs. So in any should he is involved in an accident where liability claims is needed, the company can get full reimbursement from the car allowance provider to repair the vehicle. Therefore he doesn’t need to pay anything for the repair cost.

3. I suddenly remembered about a story which happening on I-80 going westbound in Central Pennsylvania in September 2003, as told by lecturer during my study abroad. Since my friend has lot of travel, it is good for him to learn something about the risk on the road.

4. The story began when my lecturer was traveling westbound in the fast lane following the semi truck. He was about to pass a newer Buick car when this happened. There were a 76 year old driver and 85 year old passenger in the Buick car. He saw them turn on their left turn signal but they were in the slow lane (right lane). They then suddenly turned at 60 Mph right in front of the semi truck. Until now my lecturer still wondering why the old driver did that sudden swerve.

5. Then, the semi T boned them at 65 Mph. He (my lecturer) had to slam my brakes on and slid into the grassy median and called 911. He managed to take some digital pictures while waiting to speak to the state trooper who was still with the truck driver. Both women were killed and it was an incredibly ugly scened that he walked up to.

6. So lesson of the day, to my friend and all the readers, please be careful on the road, we never know what will happen as everything is just so unpredictable, especially when being around the moving trucks. You know, the collision between heavy vehicle and passenger car is never compatible. The result is usually fatal and really a mess. So be careful.

New Honda Civic 2009 Sedan Auto Insurance Pictures

1. Thanks to the Honda's proactive auto insurance dealer and an expert with a scanner (",), we now have a good look at the upcoming 2009 Honda Civic sedan. The biggest change is the up front, where the new Civic will get the family smile thanks to a redesigned grille and front fascia. The newly Honda Civic 2009 design seems exhibit the newly Honda City 2009, at least from the exterior part. Maybe it is just me though.

2. Out back, the lighting has been tweaked, but not substantially. Two trim levels have been added: The DX-VP and LX-S, presumably a value and sport package, respectively, helping Civic tweak its price points for broader appeal. The whole thing has an "incremental improvement" quality about it, which — along with "incremental weight gain" — is the same formula that's worked for Civic for about 30 years now.

3. However, all of these Honda magnificient features are useless if we don't buy auto insurance for women. I'm not trying to be a gender descriminator, but it is just for "safety-net" if anything happened to this luxury performance car. Understand?

4. Anyway, some good highlights on this newly Honda Civic 2009 are the incredible interior room, good steering, breaks and handling. Also, not to forget its gorgeous front bumper and grille styling, head and tailight assemblies, USB interface, Bluetooth, GPS and stability control. Yes, you heard me, the car has a built-in GPS!

5. Before I finish the post, I just want to warn you that when this Honda Civic car is out, your teenagers or kids will love it so much. Thus, as a safety precaution, don't forget to equip yourself with teenagers auto insurance. We never know what will happening in the future. Right?

The Best Performance Car in Malaysia 2008

1. Guess what is the best performance car in Malaysia? Among those listed by New Straits Times (NST) are Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Coupe FX, Mazda MX-5, Peugeot 207CC, Peugeot 308GT, Renault Clio RS, Renault Megane CC, Renault Megane R26, Volkswagen Eos and Volkswagen Polo GTI. Pick your desired car before I tell you about the winner. For your information, I currently drive Used 2003 Honda Civics. Thus, you might tell me that I'm bias.

2. Truly, I'm not that bias as the judges were not me. Anyway, the NST judges ran riot with the Performance Cars, nominating a total of 17 cars split over 2 categories, while Autocar ASEAN (AA) only named the BMW M3, the Honda Civic Type R and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in the Performance Car category. The Honda’s double victory is well deserved.

3. To quote a line from AA, “The New Honda Civic Type R engine is a modern work of automotive art and the focus on performance is second to none. For those strengths and for having the guts to sell such an extreme product to the public, Honda deserves to be rewarded in this category.”

4. We can see from the list of nominations, that the NST team of judges had a lot of performance-oriented judges compared to AA’s panel whose opinions are more consumer oriented. No criticism to either on that count, but some of the NST panel’s nominees in segment are questionable, such as the Hyundai Coupe, 207CC, Megane CC, Eos and SLK200.

5. If you think of it, the Audi TT - the lower end versions - isn’t the last word in performance either. These cars are more show than go, though the eventual choices of the Type R and M3 were spot on.

6. After this, it is time for me to look for Used 2006 Honda Civics. Buying new Honda Civic is not an option. (I broke!) LOL

Vauxhall Need Government Help to Save 5,000 UK Jobs

1. The bailout game is not only played in the United States, but also in UK. Just recently, the car manufacturer Vauxhall has today rejected claims that industry leaders held secret talks with government ministers to secure financial assistance amid the global credit crisis. Is it true?

2. According to the reports, Vaxuhall bosses approached Business Secretary Lord Mandleson last week in a bid to secure financial support for its car-part suppliers and dealerships. Vauxhall bosses had met with Lord Mandleson to seek a financial guarantee to protect its 5,000 UK workers, The Times claimed. Hmm..why hiding the fact, just admit that you are actually facing a huge problem.

3. A number of motoring companies attended talks with Government officials' representatives to discuss the effects of the global credit crunch on the industry last week. But a Vauxhall spokesman said no such money talk had taken place between them and government representatives. Haha go deny it when you still can.

Good News: Malaysian Roads Will be Rated For Safety

1. Again, I got this news from New Straits Time and found it quite interesting. The picture above not related to the news I want to share. Like hotels being rated with stars or cars being rated with stars (NCAP), roads nationwide would be rated according to its safety level and it is estimated that road accidents could be cut by 30%. For example (not true), PLUS Highway (4 stars), LPT (2.5 stars) and so on..

2. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said the Road Safety Department and Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS) under his ministry and the Works Department (JKR) under Works Ministry have embarked on a joint-project to evaluate safety of roads in the country. So far, the pilot project under International Road Assessment Programme (IRAP) has evaluated the safety level of 3,800km of roads last year. I personally knew the guy who did a research on this. His name is Alvin Poi, also being assisted with his head unit, Marizwan and his department boss, Ir Jamilah. They are all good people and working hard on this project.

“The safety of the roads were identified like star ratings of hotel,’’ said Ong.

3. He also said the pilot project has since been expanded to cover all road networks in the country when the outcome of the pilot project was found to be useful.

‘‘We will have a complete inventory of the rating of the roads then,’’ said Ong.

4. It is not known when the project, which started last year, will be completed. Parameters of the rating for the safety level included the width of the road, road surface, signages, lightings and even the guardrail, Ong said. These are the factors that considered during rating work.

“Road designs plays a big role to reduce road accidents,’’ Ong said this to reporters after launching a road safety campaign in conjunction with The Super Home Ideas Exhibition and Exclusive Property and Investment Show held at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre on Saturday.

5. Also present at the event is Datuk Suret Singh, director-general of Road Safety Depatment. Last year, more than five percent of Malaysian roads (3,800km) were successfully evaluated for safety and this rating would pave the way for a scientific approach to safer roads and fewer accidents.

6. Under the IRAP carried out last year on mostly federal roads, it was found that more than 90% of the 3,700km of roads surveyed scored two-stars and above out of five stars. Statistics have shown that said 91% of road fatalities occur on non-highway roads. According to the Malaysian Institute for Road Safety Research (MIROS), complacency in taking care of road infrastructure could now be avoided with this sort of evaluation method.

“The roads would just deteriorate if we don’t take care of everything,” said Miros director-general Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.

7. Prof Ahmad Farhan added that having done the study, some of the roads would require upgrading works. Yeah, in short, it is to make them better. MIROS won't allow Malaysian to travel on the crappy road.

“This is not to say that road conditions are the only factor when it comes to accidents, but the results will help us identify what needs improving to make safer roads.”

8. Prof Ahmad Farhan said the Works Department had their own plans but with the results, notes could be compared to coincide and prioritize upgrading works with their plans and IRAP findings.

“We hope that we can stagger and prioritize so that the roads that require the most attention, that is, the blackspots, will be given attention first,” Prof Ahmad Farhan said.

9. Malaysia is the first country in Asia to adopt IRAP and with the success of the pilot, Prof Ahmad Farhan said the second phase would be carried out soon.

Singapore and Thailand Vehicles' Passengers Must also Wear Rear Seatbelt

1. I got this from The New Straits Time today. This is indeed a good information to those who come to Malaysia for visit, even it is quite self-explanatory. Motorists from Singapore and Thailand, entering the country, will not be exempted from the new regulation on the compulsory use of rear seatbelts. Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said under the Road Transport Act 1987, back-seat passengers, regardless of whether they were locals or foreigners, must buckle up.

2. He said errant rear seat passengers would be issued a maximum compound fine of RM300. Solah said the fine for those who failed to abide by the rule would be increased to the maximum of RM2,000, or a year's jail, or both, beginning in July. He said the department was doing everything to disseminate information on the new rule to motorists from the neighbouring countries. However, he did not elaborate on the method used. Wonder why? haha..you got the answer. But I really support 100% for this law to be applied to foreigners.

"No one will be exempted from buckling up. Everybody, even motorists from Singapore and Thailand, must buckle up or a fine will be issued.

"Stringent checks will be carried out to ensure that local and foreign motorists follow the rules."

3. He said, up to yesterday, a total of 67 compound fines were issued to those who had failed to use their rear seatbelts in the northern zone. A total of 37 motorists were fined in Perak, 19 in Perlis, eight in Kedah and three in Penang. Checks by the New Straits Times at the Anti-Smuggling Unit operation site, at Km 4.8 of the Bukit Kayu Hitam-Jitra expressway, found that several rear seat passengers travel from Thailand did not use their seatbelts. The officers had to explain the ruling to the motorists as they were unaware of it. Agreed. They deserve some kind of explaination or at least advice before getting the tickets.

10 Died in Road Horror Accident (2 Peroduas and 1 Nissan) at Gua Musang, Kelantan

1. It's all over the local news at Malaysia (all pictures thanks to them). Ten people were killed and a baby seriously injured in a three-car accident involving a Perodua Kenari, a Perodua Kancil and a Nissan Murano four-wheel drive at Gua Musang, Kelantan yesterday. Another big accidents after the new year 2009.

2. Those killed were all five people in the Kenari and five of six people in the Kancil. The four people in the four-wheel drive escaped with minor injuries. In the pile-up at the 21st kilometre of Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang at 10.30am yesterday, the Kancil heading for Kuala Krai from here, is believed to have collided head-on with the Murano before the Kenari crashed into the Kancil.

3. The deaths came as a stark reminder of the country’s newest traffic law, the rear seat belt ruling that came into force two days ago. None of the rear passengers in either car were buckled up, police said. Gua Musang Fire and Rescue Department chief Rosli Che Sulaiman confirmed that only the drivers of the Kancil and Kenari had their seat belts on. 6 were in the Perodua Kancil which means there were 4 passengers at the back. Kancil only has 2 rear seatbelts, this is indeed passengers overloading issue, not rear seatbelt. For Perodua Kenari, 5 passengers in the car, 3 at the back. They should use the rear seatbelts; this at least will prevent them from flying out or spinning inside the 'cockpit' of the car (like clothes inside washing machine).

4. He said rescue personnel had to cut the seat belts of the drivers (they used the seatbelts, straight forward) to remove their bodies. The deceased were identified as Haliza Md Zain, 33, the driver of the Kancil, her sister Maziatul Shamila, and three of her children Mohd Rahiza Yuswa Abdul Rahim, 12, Norashidah, 10, and six-year-old Shaha.

5. Haliza’s fourth child, one-year-old Noraihah Nabila was seriously injured and has been admitted to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital. The five victims in the Kenari were driver Lau Sin Eik, 59, Lee Bee Seng, 50, Lau Chai Soon, 78, Ho Kin Hum, 86, and 18-year-old Shareen Lau Ming Min.

6. Phua Thein Noo, 28, drove the Murano while his passengers were Tan Chee Hua, 44, Wong Kee Hooi, 20, and 33-year-old Lau Soon Lee. Gua Musang OCPD Supt Ahmad Termizi Abd Haq said police had detained Phua for questioning.

“Preliminary police investigations showed that the Kancil driver may have wanted to overtake another vehicle when the collision happened. (Kancil with overloading passengers wanted to overtake? This is the problem. You could drive fast and crazily but please follow some basic rules, i.e. make sure you are alone in the car, and nobody else on the road that time, in other words, if u wanna die, go die alone, dun bring along your family or friends..please think wisely and rationally when drive a car)

“Almost all the victims died on the spot except for the six-year-old child who died on the way to Gua Musang Hospital,” he told reporters.

7. Supt Ahmad Termizi said some of the victims were trapped in their vehicles while some were thrown out. He said Fire and Rescue Department personnel took at least 40 minutes to extricate the bodies. All the bodies were taken to Gua Musang Hospital for a post-mortem.

8. Lesson of the day, just don't drive fast in the rain condition and always remember your loves ones (inside the vehicle or at home).

D2 Forged Wheels & Kris London on Secret Entourage