Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department Chief Datuk Mohd Azhar Hamin said among the main factors behind accidents is negligence of the drivers themselves.
“Sometimes road factors contribute to accidents, but the most noticeable are the attitudes of drivers such as speeding, impatience and lack of consideration. “Road safety depends on us. If we are not careful, the risk is not only to ourselves but also to other users,” he said.
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He urged the public to be part of the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) community by downloading the application into their devices.
With the VSP application, police can not only patrol areas reported for criminal activities but also support ongoing investigations through information shared by the public.
“We urge the community to join VSP. It allows police to patrol their neighbourhoods, especially when residents leave for vacations. The app also serves as a platform for sharing information on criminal activities, drug cases and road congestion,” he said.
In Sabah, 20,828 road accidents were recorded in 2024, resulting in 282 deaths. In 2025, cases rose to 21,428 with 315 deaths. From Jan 1 to Feb 12, 2026, police recorded 2,585 accidents with 34 deaths.
Police identified six “hotspot” districts during festive seasons: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Ranau and Keningau. These areas were targeted due to high vehicle density.
During the 2026 Chinese New Year Ops Selamat along Jalan Tuaran Bypass, conducted with the Road Transport Department (RTD) and Department of Environment (DOE), Azhar handed out USBs to commercial bus passengers containing road safety videos and VSP registration guidelines.
