M'sia Is 8th Most Dangerous Country To Drive In With Lowest Rate Of Drink-Driving Deaths
Japan was ranked fourth safest to drive in.
By Sadho Ram — 15 May 2022, 05:55 PM — Updated over 2 years ago
Malaysia was ranked the eighth most dangerous country to drive in, according to data by Zutobi, an online driver's education company
Malaysia recorded an overall safety driving score of only 5.63 out of 10, the data shows.
Of the 10 most dangerous countries in the world to drive in, the other countries that are accompanying Malaysia are Thailand, India, Argentina, and the United States, with South Africa being the worst.
"Thailand has the most road traffic deaths out of all countries on our list, with 32.2 road traffic deaths per 100,000 people," the data states, adding, "Malaysia recorded 22.5 scores for road traffic deaths per 100,000 of its population, the second-highest in the list." South Africa, fared better, with a score of 22.2.
"Iceland has the least amount of road traffic-related deaths per 100,000 people. There are an estimated two road traffic deaths per 100,000 and the number has been declining since 2019," it said.
Of the 10 worst countries, however, Malaysia has the lowest amount of alcohol-related road deaths, at just 0.1%, despite being among the countries with the most relaxed legal BAC limit, at 0.08%, for drivers
BAC, which stands for blood alcohol concentration, refers to the percent of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. In Malaysia, a person is legally intoxicated if they have a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
Other countries with the same BAC limit are the UK, the US, and Guyana.
And while South Africa has a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05%, it still has the highest amount of drink driving related fatality, at a whopping 57.5%, according to the Zutobi survey that analysed data from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Health Observatory data repository.
Meanwhile, Norway, with a seat-belt wearing rate (front seat) of 95.2%, was ranked the safest country to drive in for the second year in a row
The first and second runners up are Iceland and Estonia, respectively.
"Iceland is one of the world's safest countries for drivers. The maximum national speed limit for cars on motorways is 90km/h. Driving after drinking is strictly regulated in Iceland," it stated.
Meanwhile, in Estonia, 97.3% of front-seat passengers wear a seat belt when travelling.
Japan ranked fourth safest to drive in, while Switzerland rose into the top ten countries with the safest roads, improving its ranking three places from last year, according to the Zutobi data.
