Not too long ago, many Malaysian netizens had urged the owner of a dashcam video clip to lodge a report with the local authorities after he caught two patrol vehicles swerving into the lane of oncoming traffic in what appears to be an overtake maneuver.
Police escorts seen overtaking on double-lined road
The footage, which was shared widely across social media, shows a Honda Civic patrol car in the Royal Malaysian Police Livery leading a convoy of two flatbed trucks, one carrying a black Bentley Mulsanne full-sized luxury sedan and another laden with a Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Wagon performance car. Tailing behind them was a Ford Ranger pickup truck, also dressed in PDRM livery.
In the wake of the incident, Kelantan acting Police Chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun has since responded to the furor and confirmed that both patrol cars had been on active duty at the time and were travelling along the Gua Musang – Kota Bharu route. According to local newspaper Kosmo!, Harun said that the patrol car had already given ample precautionary indication to other road users by way of keeping their sirens and emergency lights on as they were driving.
PDRM explains on-duty police escort vehicles had right of way
Addressing concerns as to whether overtaking on a double-line road could constitute as dangerous driving, he said that all vehicles had been performing a valid maneuver and had in fact, the right of way.
“The issue raised by members of the public was with regards to how the escort car was driving dangerously in the video. In actuality, the patrol car was fulfilling its duties to control traffic on a public roadway under Section 21 of the Police Act 1967.
This means that other road users should offer their cooperation, whether by slowing down their vehicles, giving way for the escort cars to pass, or stopping their vehicles entirely to prevent any incidents from occurring.
Police escort vehicles have their own rules to follow, and cannot treat them arbitrarily when they are on-duty. I don’t blame anyone over this, but maybe there are some who still remain confused on the matter.” he said.
He also hopes that other road users will comply and cooperate, should they find themselves encountering other escort vehicles on duty as well.
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