KUALA LUMPUR: Local motorists are full of tales of their encounters with illegal racers on the roads.
Client services manager K. Geetha, 46, said she and her family were on their way from Penang to Kuala Lumpur a few years back when they were suddenly “sandwiched” between two racing cars.
“They must have been speeding because one second they were 100m away and the next moment, the two cars were beside us.
“One swerved to the left while the other sped towards the emergency lane,” she said, adding that the driver in the second car eventually lost control of his vehicle and rammed into them.
Geetha said four of them in the car were injured due to the impact.
“The driver did not even apologise and drove away as soon as the ambulance arrived,” she said.
A freelance writer, who only wanted to be known as Tanya, said she was almost killed when two of her friends decided to race along the highway heading towards the KL International Airport.
“He was driving normally until my other friend decided to tailgate him and ‘instigate’ a race,” she said, adding that she screamed for her friend to stop the car but he pressed on.
The “race” only ended when her friend’s car skidded after hitting a puddle, spun several times and was rammed by another vehicle.
“The car was a total loss. Honestly, I am lucky I did not die,” she said.
Dr K. Prabagaran, 40, said he got so fed up of a group of young racers near his home in Balik Pulau, Penang, that he decided to tell them off.
However, he claimed the group scolded him back and even revved their vehicles in front of his house whenever they passed by.
In Kajang, Road Safety Department deputy director-general Abdul Haris Lakar advised motorists to slow down and make way if they came across racers or speeding cars.
“We encourage them to slow down their vehicle and avoid taking photos or videos using their mobile phones. Let the authorities take action against these culprits.
“The last thing motorists should do is tailgate or follow the illegal racers,” he told reporters after launching the United Nations Global Road Safety Week 2015 yesterday.
Abdul Haris said he also supported the proposal to make it compulsory for child seats to be used when ferrying young kids.
