195 Drivers Caught Not Wearing A Seatbelt—Over 30% Used Dummy Buckle

The dummy buckle is an amazingly apt name because only dummies are using them to avoid buckling up in the car.

Negeri Sembilan Road Transport Department (JPJ) director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf said the highest number of notices issued during the Special Chinese New Year Operation was for not wearing seat belts, with 195 offences recorded, of which over 30 per cent of them were found to be using the accessory, which resembles a real seat belt buckle.

“We found over 30 per cent of drivers prefer to wear the dummy buckle to silence the sound of the seatbelt reminder, and their excuse is that it (the seat belt) is uncomfortable or that they forgot… but that is a major offence because it can result in severe injury or death in the event of a road crash.

“The use of this accessory is seen to be widespread and becoming a trend these days and that is not a good sign and we need to pay immediate attention to this matter,” he told reporters after the special operation in conjunction with the Chinese New Year at the Senawang Toll Plaza that ended yesterday.

When confronted, drivers would give excuses like, they forgot, or that it was uncomfortable to wear a seat belt. To that, we say, grow up.

In a related news, The Road Transport Department (JPJ) recorded a total of 107,014 traffic offences during the Chinese New Year Special Operation 2025, which ran from January 20 to February 4. The operation involved the inspection of 429,423 vehicles, resulting in 724 seizures.

Expired road tax and the absence of valid vehicle insurance emerged as the most common violations, with 29,994 cases reported. This was followed by 20,414 instances of drivers operating vehicles without a valid licence and 15,610 technical infractions, including issues related to tyres and brakes.

We applaud the Road Transportation Department for its efforts and we hope that none of our readers are guilty of this offence. After all, it’s a device that’s meant to save your life.