PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will introduce the high-speed weigh-in-motion (HS-WIM) camera by September to monitor overloaded vehicles and prevent deadly collisions, a senior minister said.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said 10 cameras would be installed in hotspot areas with high accident risk and heavy traffic flow.
The system will be implemented from the third quarter of 2025, he said, adding, "I don't want any delays in implementation."
Loke said the initiative is a new method introduced by the ministry to tackle overloaded vehicles, rather than relying solely on manual checks by the Road Transport Department (RTD).
The camera measures the weight of vehicles as they drive along the road, enforcing weight regulations and ensuring vehicles are not overloaded. The system works efficiently and doesn't require vehicles to stop.
Traffic accidents in Malaysia are a significant concern, with a high number of incidents and fatalities each year.
A total of 1,457 deaths were recorded in 3,500 road accidents involving lorries from January 2019 to November 2024. The highest number of deaths (274) was recorded in 2019, followed by 2024 with 260 deaths, 2023 (235 deaths), 2022 (232 deaths), 2021 (230 deaths), and 2020 (226 deaths).
Meanwhile, Loke announced that the Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) camera would be enhanced with the "point-to-point method" to combat speeding. He said vehicle speed would be monitored by measuring the average speed between two camera checkpoints based on distance and travel time. "We don't want them to just slow down in front of the camera; we want to know how much time they take to pass both cameras.
"For example, going downhill should take 15 minutes, but if they reach within eight minutes, action can be taken. Hopefully, it can be rolled out soon," Loke said.
The enhanced camera system will be implemented in various hotspots in the country, such as Karak Highway near Genting Sempah and Menora Tunnel in Perak.