Driving- Navigating Malaysian Roads

We have some family coming over for the Inventor's birthday in February. He will be turning 50, having successfully negotiated half a century on this planet. Our D-Max only seats five, so I suggested to one of the more capable and courageous members of the family, “What about you pick up a hire car and drive it to Kampar, so we have enough transport to move people around?”

He wasn't especially keen on the idea, and I can at least see his point of view. Driving in Malaysia can be a little hair-raising, especially at first. It's not that it is on a par with other Asian countries we have visited. Just sitting in a car in Vietnam, for instance, is a life-changing experience that would inspire anyone with the tiniest grain of faith to open communication with their creator. In Vietnam, I did a lot of soul-searching and questioning, on the value and purpose of life and humanity. When faced each day with the real possibility of being involved in an accident, one gets pragmatic.

Malaysia isn't like that. The roads in Malaysia are a blend of the haphazard, careless approach of the Asians, and the British legacy of undying regard for all that is lawful and proper. The inventor finds the disparity of this a little disconcerting, and is prone to frustration at the wheel of the car, but I still mostly am mildly amused, and somewhat bemused, at the goings-on on the tarmac around me.

Road laws in Malaysia are very similar to those in Australia. That is to say, they appear to be, for if I was to be truthful, I would have to admit that neither of us has actually ever looked up the road rules. The major difference would appear to be the infrequent policing of the rules and the ease with which one can bribe one's way out of a fine, and the subsequent disregard that people have for the rules.

Driving in Kampar is relatively straightforward. It's a small town and the traffic is generally light and slow-moving. In our little town the main challenge is getting across the traffic on the slow-moving main street. It's a game of chicken, complete with human obstacles, bicycles, cars, trucks and motorcycles. There is also the usual traffic conditions that make all driving in Malaysia a bit chaotic, until you get used to it- vehicles parked in already-narrow lanes, double-parked vehicles obstructing the flow of traffic, roadside restaurants taking the majority of a road over for tables, poor signage, red lights that one finds don't apply, even though facing you, and the unpredictability of movement of any of the vehicles sharing the road. It pays to take less notice of the rules and more of what is happening on the road in every direction around you. A generous portion of bravado blended in the right measure with driving skills seems to be the correct recipe for surviving three months without incident.

On all Malaysian roads, the thing we still find a challenge is motorcyclists. They obviously go with the grace of Allah, for they feel no need for protective equipment like jacket, shoes, or helmet. Children balance confidently behind parents and siblings, and mother's arms on the handlebars form a secure spot for the very smallest to perch. The motorcycles- not scooters- move along the side of the road, veering out in front of traffic to avoid puddles and potholes. They drive up the side of cars to take their place at the front of the traffic waiting for the lights to turn green. The smart ones jump the light before it changes, to get a head-start on the motorists, who tend to wait for the green. If they only have a short distance to travel, motorcyclists will drive up the shoulder on the wrong side of the road, but my favourite motorcycle trick, unsurpassed in its stupidity, is to overtake the D-Max, on the inside, as we are cornering. This manouevre could only be performed, or even considered, by someone who has never swung a vehicle of this size around a corner.

The drivers travel in larger obstacles that are easier to see. In our little corner of countryside, they weave around without indicators, unpredictable, inexperienced, and often incompetent. I find the choreography of the whole thing somewhat lovely and fluid. Driving in KL, however, is more serious stuff. Cars jam onto the maze of expressways that creep all over the city- wide, easy roads which are well signposted, but one wrong turn can mean a half-hour detour. None of the GPS packages we have tried so far can manage the complexity of lanes and multiple exits without the occasional error, then once off the expressway, navigation is a nightmare, as like all Malaysian towns, KL is a maze of connected minor roads with suburbs of winding lanes branching off them. We are slowly learning to find our way around Ipoh, but it also has its share of headaches, as I find the Malaysian road design very hard to fathom. Today I drove many kilometres around a suburb trying to find my way into it, and eventually used a small lump of concrete to cross the ditch and narrow stretch of grass that separated the main road I was on from the subdivision, rather than drive many kilometres back around.

All the above complaints are are minor and can be worked around with some patience and understanding, but the one that continues to get us riled is the selfishness and lack of consideration of so many drivers. It almost seems like there are only two sorts of drivers- slow, incompetent ones, and impatient, rude ones, and the it's the rude ones really upset the Inventor. He even dreamed about them last night, but unlike reality, in his dream he was successful his efforts to force their good behaviour using the might of the D-Max. These drivers can't wait in a line of traffic which obviously is moving slowly, preferring to make a new lane, or even two, by driving up the left of the traffic jam and then pushing in further ahead. This isn't just one or two cars I am talking about- it is an entire, constant stream of traffic. They seem to have no concern for turn-taking or consideration of others, preferring to meet their own needs only. It makes very slow going for those of us who wait our turn. I have had it happen in Australia, too, so I can reassure you that this sort of self-serving, rude behaviour is not unique to Malaysia, but it is probably worse here because of the absence of police regulation of road behaviour.

Then there are the drivers who find it intolerable sitting in the endless line of traffic that meanders from Gopeng to Kampar. The road is adequate enough but only one lane, and it always carries a lot of traffic. Some days the traffic is heavier and it just moves slower. Overtaking is pointless, as one can look beyond the line of traffic they are stuck in, and see another, and yet another, but still these young men pull out into tiny gaps between the oncoming traffic and utilise turning lanes and any other space they can find to make up one or two positions in the line. They sit impatiently straddling the double lines, looking and waiting for any opportunity to dart out and back into the crawling traffic, but they never get very far ahead of us before we get to the double lanes near Kampar. They only bother me when our vehicle is close enough to be hit by schrapnel from any accident they may cause, but the Inventor becomes quite incensed at their stupidity.

Having said so many disparaging things about Malaysian drivers, I must also now add that many are sensible and safe, and many appear to be trying to establish some sense of order on the roads. There are drivers that indicate their intentions, stay in their lanes, and most wait for traffic lights to turn green. Many also sit on the 110 km/h speed limit on the expressway, in stark contrast to the incompetents who potter along at 70 in the left lane, and the revheads who dominate the right-hand lane travelling at speeds more than double this, lights flashing angrily at anyone who dare try to use the lane to overtake at any speed below theirs.

Drivers and motorcyclists in Malaysia are five times more likely to die on the road than their Australian counterparts. Over 6000 people die on Malaysian roads each year, and though Australia has only a few million fewer inhabitants, only 1300 die on Australian roads. And we probably all agree that 1300 is too many. Cyclists are also five times more likely to meet an untimely death here, a fact of which we are very aware when we take out our beautiful new Raleigh bikes. Helmets, reflectors and lights might make us stand out from the crowd, but they help keep us safe.

The approach we have taken is somewhere of a middle ground. We learned to drive where following rules was obligatory. Coming from such a well-oiled democracy, bound by laws and bureaucracy, means we have been trained to expect rules and follow them. It would doubtless be quite easy to adopt local ways, abandoning the wearing of a seat belt, drifting between lanes without so much as a wave, or driving the expressway at 150. To some extent, we have taken on board some of these energy-saving local gems, but unlike many locals, we know about safety and have been brought up with the fear that is drilled into our heads at an early age. We hope to remain safe and sensible drivers, and in fact, I for one have become more aware and more alert on the roads. One just cannot afford not to be- there are 6000 Malaysians relying on it.