Kota Kinabalu: Having an expired or no driving licence is the most common offence recorded by the Sabah Road Transport Department (RTD) during operations from January to October this year.
Sabah RTD Director Datuk Mohd Harris Ali said there were 17,564 cases of drivers with expired or missing licences.
He said the second most common offence was driving with expired road tax involving 14,530 cases, followed by driving without valid insurance (10,542 cases) and expired vocational licences (3,681 cases).
“Throughout the year, 412,475 vehicles were inspected statewide, resulting in action against 40,097 vehicles and the issuance of 85,171 summonses. A total of 203 vehicles were seized during operations,” he said at a press conference along Jalan Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on Thursday.
Other frequently violated rules included speeding, ignoring traffic signals, overtaking on double lanes, using emergency lanes, cutting in line, and using mobile phones while driving.
Harris emphasised that most drivers claim they simply forget to renew their licences despite reminders and convenient facilities like the MyJPJ app, which allows easy online renewal.
He urged all road users to check their licence expiry dates to avoid legal trouble and risks in accidents.
He also highlighted the enforcement of Speed Limit Devices (SLD) on commercial vehicles, which began on October 1.
From October 1–27, 5,993 vehicles were inspected, with action taken against 567 vehicles. The enforcement will be phased, with ECU activation in January and full implementation by July 1, 2026.
“This initiative is aimed at reducing accidents involving heavy vehicles, which statistics show are often involved in fatal accidents,” Harris added.
During the integrated operation, 904 vehicles were inspected, resulting in 136 summonses under the Road Transport Act 1987, seven technical offence summonses, and one vehicle seizure.
The operation involved multiple agencies, including the police, Immigration, DOE, LPKP, Motac, and JPN. DOE also issued two summonses and six notices for vehicles with excessive emissions.
