We’ve been there before: The driver of a vehicle in front of you brakes suddenly, and before long, it seems like the road ahead was clear and there was no good reason for you to slow down abruptly. In essence, this was the situation faced by Nurul Ilham Anwar, daughter of Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Known as a brake check, the act of abruptly applying the brakes in cases like this has less to do with making sure the vehicle’s brakes are working as they should, and probably more to do with an act of retaliation against another road user who has aggrieved you. or offended in any way.
While Malaysian law does not specifically address the act of checking the brakes, this does fall under reckless and dangerous driving, as described in Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
I don’t usually post these things, but today I was intimidated along the way. ??This car kept hitting the brakes in the faster lane. Super dangerous and I had my 2 year old with me. He was there for a good minute before she (yes, she) switched to the next lane. pic.twitter.com/dBFli21eHU
— Nurul Ilham Anwar (@eelhumm) January 20, 2023
It states: “Anyone who drives a motor vehicle on a highway recklessly or at a speed or in a manner that, taking into account all the circumstances (including the nature, condition, and size of the highway and the amount of traffic on or could be expected to be on the road) is dangerous to the public shall be guilty of an offense and, if convicted, shall be punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM15,000.”
Clearly, brake checking is dangerous and should not be done, and the result of misjudgment on the part of any driver involved could result in other innocent road users being caught by a runaway vehicle in the process.
Malaysian law has a tendency to blame the car behind when it comes to collisions, so in this case it is our responsibility to be able to provide evidence that the car in front is driving dangerously.
Once again, a working dashcam It would prove valuable in the event a police report is made, which can then be provided with video evidence, especially if the following vehicle fails to stop in time and crashes into the brake check vehicle. Evidence retention is key, so use storage that endures to the rigors of the Malaysian heat.
If you still have to equip yourself with a dashcamIt would be a good idea get one ASAP. It’s a wild place out there.
