Yesterday, everyone is shocked to learn about the tragic bus accident that killed 16 UPSI students in Gerik. In May 2025, 10 Federal Reserve Unit personnels passed away in a similarly horrific accident.
I just read the statistic in The Star newspaper:
- Malaysia records 1,740 accidents every day, causing 14 deaths.
- This means, 1 person killed every 2 hours.
- In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is the 2nd highest country in road deaths.
- In 2023, 4,187 people lost their lives on our roads.
The stats gave me shivers.
From technology perspective, there are several lessons to be learned from the accident yesterday.
- The bus owner must always make sure the right driver is driving the bus. Reportedly the driver of the unlucky bus was originally a lorry driver.
- While technology for real-time monitoring exists, it still depends on the operator to actively monitor. Lower-end tracking solutions may not have instant alert capabilities to notify the bus owner when speeding event is detected.
- Tracking alone may not be sufficient. Combination of real-time video surveillance provides a true picture of what’s happening on the road.
- Once bus owner receives alerts, he can tune into video surveillance to see how the driver actually behaves.
So how can technology help reduce bad & risky driving?
- Implement Katsana Driver Identification module: The module forces drivers to identify themselves using Malaysia NRIC, RFID cards, NFC tags and others. Unauthorized drivers are locked from using the vehicle. In fact, we discover that drivers tend to drive slower when they are identifiable. You can read more about DriverID here. You can see it in action here.
- Use speed alert in Katsana Platform. Speed alerts will notify you immediately when drivers are caught speeding.
- Upgrade your tracking solution to include Vehicle Video Surveillance system (MDVR). This will prove invaluable as it provides a recorded video in event of accidents. You can also view the real-time video of the driver via Katsana mobile app.
With data, we can help make roads safer for everyone. Road safety is our responsibility.
Hannah Tan
Marketing Lead
Download 2025 KATSANA Bus Video Surveillance brochure
Improving Highway Safety
“Safety for our patrol team and highway users is our top priority. I am happy with the service that KATSANA is providing for us at LITRAK. We recorded noticeable improvements in fleet operations & occupational safety ever since we started using KATSANA Fleet solutions on our patrol motorcycles and tow trucks.”
Zainudin Mohamed Noah
Head, Traffic Safety Management
Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Berhad
🚚 Download 2024 – MDVR Brochure Compressed