Shahrim Tamrin said the authorities should also reveal the number of fatal crashes that involved victims using “dummy buckles” – accessories used to silence seat belt warning alarms in vehicles.

He said he first learnt about the use of dummy buckles in a 2014 crash in Johor, and claimed the authorities were aware of the device but that no real action had been taken to stamp out its use.

“Five years ago, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) also tried to initiate a considerable response from various government agencies (to tackle the issue) but the effort was futile.

“To see the absence of cooperation between agencies to stop the sale of the device is a clear reflection of the government’s poor commitment to saving lives on the road,” said the former Miros board member.

Shahrim said Miros’s research found that there were at least three accidents in 2017, 2018, and 2020 involving the deaths of four people in total where dummy buckles were used.

“It resulted in the victims being thrown out of the vehicles or suffering strong impacts on the vehicle’s steering wheel or dashboard, leading to fatalities,” he added.

Dummy buckles are inserted into belt slots to prevent triggering an alarm whenever a seat belt is not worn. Checks by FMT found that the items could be purchased for less than RM5 on two major e-commerce platforms.

Negeri Sembilan road transport department director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf recently expressed concern over a rising trend of vehicle owners using the buckles, adding that offenders often gave the excuse that seat belts were uncomfortable.

He said the highest number of notices issued during a special Chinese New Year operation was for the offence of not wearing a seat belt. Over 30% of the 195 offenders were found to be using the accessory.

Miros and the Malaysia Consumers Movement subsequently urged Putrajaya to outlaw the sale and possession of dummy buckles.