I wish our country would do what has been done by Malaysia, which has sought to reduce road accidents by asking its people to help catch violators. What Malaysia did was set up an online “Hall of Shame” where people can join official efforts by posting pictures of traffic offenders. The campaign aims at ensuring discipline and safety on roads. As simple as it may seem, the idea could prove very effective in catching offenders who usually get away because of lack of enforcement.

The Malaysian minister of transport urged his countrymen to join the campaign by recording violations they see on the street. He said the pictures of violators, snapped by the people with their cell phone cameras, would be sent to the traffic departments for action.

The question is if we introduce such a system, would it help deter our notorious motorists, known for committing every kind of violation from speeding and running traffic lights to jumping queues and ignoring pedestrian crossings, from committing new violations?

I don’t think Malaysia has the kind of errant drivers that roam our streets with scant regard whatsoever for their own lives or others’. Do motorists in Kuala Lumpur and other Malaysian cities turn the busiest streets into race tracks as it happens in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Buraidah and other Saudi cities?

A visitor to our country would think that people speed because they wish to catch up with the world, increase productivity or make it to the mosque before the congregational prayers are over. This, however, is not the case, people speed in violation of every safety law because they want to and are used to it. They also speed because they know they can get away with it.

Hundreds of road accidents are reported daily nationwide, with many ending in deaths or severe injuries, according to official statistics. The types of violations listed by the police are endless. Of the most serious type, the list includes 23 violations. As for the less serious and mild violations, these number 28 and 40 respectively.

If we emulate Malaysia and introduce this form of deterrent, then taking pictures of traffic offenders on our roads would mean our “Hall of Shame” could blacken the area extending from Earth to Mars.