[UPDATED] Beacon lights, sirens no licence to beat red lights, says Bukit Aman traffic chief

KUALA LUMPUR: Flashing beacon lights and blaring sirens do not grant drivers of enforcement or emergency vehicles exemption from obeying traffic laws, even in emergency situations. Bukit Aman Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department (TEID) director Datuk Seri Mohammed Hasbullah Ali emphasized that safety of other road users is paramount.

Drivers must ensure the intersection is clear before proceeding. No one is above the law, including government ministries and agencies, he stressed. Emergency vehicles must still exercise caution and comply with traffic signals, like the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Rules. The fact that a vehicle is responding to an emergency does not grant it priority over other traffic, Hasbullah clarified.

He cited an ambulance driver who was charged for running a red light without checking for other road users. Police warned that motorists must remain alert and give way to such vehicles, as obstructing them could lead to serious offences, including under Section 186 of the Penal Code.