Should Malaysia’s national speed limit be increased to above 110 km/h?

On 1 February 1989, the National Speed Limits which sets the default limit at expressways, federal roads, and state roads was enforced. To date, the speed limit on expressways has been unchanged at 110 km/h. Is it high time to consider increasing the speed limit?

Well, addressing this would be opening a can of worms as there are a few issues to talk about. And this is not even on removing the speed limit altogether, as we've discussed why regulations are necessary.

There have been numerous attempts to increase the speed limit, dating back as far as 1991. And evidently, none of them was successful due to safety concerns.

But let’s assume for a minute that the authority is taking this into serious consideration. I’ve deliberated the for and against arguments and here are my points.

For - Vehicles have gotten infinitely more competent

Today in Malaysia, every new car on sale except the “kosong” spec Perodua Axia is fitted with at least ABS. But advancements in safety goes beyond that. Crash safety, be it occupant protection or pedestrian safety, has come a long way since 1989.

A-pillars have gotten so thick that it affects visibility in some cases, brakes aren’t the size of bottle caps anymore, and if you look back at the cars in 1989, not all cars had rear seat belts.

So far as vehicle safety goes, it’s crystal clear that the cars of today are light years ahead compared to when the speed limit was introduced. That’s only the safety aspect.

Powertrain, structural rigidity, and refinement have come a long way as well. Never mind the premium/luxury cars of before, let’s just take the Proton Saga as example. The Saga of today is able to cruise at 110 km/h without breaking a sweat.

Cabin noise is more than acceptable and the engine revs at around 2,500 rpm without protesting. The Saga feels secure and confident to travel at that speed.

Step back 30 years ago, to say that the Proton Saga was quite different may be an understatement. I’ve had the pleasure (I didn’t see it this way at the time) of experiencing several Proton Sagas from before I could even say “car” until present moment.

And I can assure you the experience at 110 km/h in the Saga of 1989 is a far cry from today’s Saga. Without getting too much into the nitty gritty, you can tell that high-speed cruising is not its forte. If you anchor on the brakes, tyres will lock up and you would have no steering control.

Also read: Evolution of the Proton Saga in 35 years - The pride of Malaysia or wasted potential?

Which brings us on to the subject of brakes. One of the important criteria when setting a speed limit is braking distance. Now, while we don’t have the braking distance data for cars over three decades ago, a quick check on the internet reveals that a 1996 Honda Civic stops from 100 km/h to 0 km/h in the mid-40s of metre.

The 2020 Honda Civic did it in 35.1 metre during our test. That’s roughly 10 metres apart, which is at least two car lengths to give you a better picture. Of course, not all cars stop as well as the current Honda Civic. This is merely an idea of progress in terms of brakes and tyres.

As a whole, there's no doubt cars have advanced tremendously.

Against – Driver competency has not progressed

Superiority bias is a common phenomenon amongst drivers. It’s a cognitive bias that makes people overestimate their abilities in relative to others. If I were to ask you to rate your driving skills on a scale of 1 to 10, what would your answer be?

Let me guess, 7? Well, if everyone’s above average, then no one is. Here’s the thing, there is no widely accepted definition of a good driver, everyone has their own criteria of what makes a good driver.

Some drivers think merely accelerating with confidence makes a good driver, or perhaps the ability to drive with one hand makes you Vin Diesel. 

My colleague who’s an advanced driving instructor, Jason, has listed what makes a good driver. He has observed a variety of Malaysian drivers so he's in a good position to evaluate the quality of driving here.

Jason pointed out a few common bad driving habits and suggested ways to correct them. But in the driving school of the internet, some have disputed his points. This reinforces the point of superiority bias.

Complacency is the enemy of progress. If you think you’re good enough, chances are you won’t strive to improve upon it.

Also read: How to tell if a person is a good driver

Against – Increasing speed limit also increases speed variance

Several researches have shown that crash risk is far more likely to rise with increased speed variance than with outright speed alone. Let’s say the median traffic speed on a certain stretch of highway is 110 km/h, which do you think poses a higher risk of crash – a car driving at 60 km/h or 130 km/h?

The reality is that everyone has varying levels of skill set, with different speeds they are comfortable driving at. Perhaps some are more comfortable driving at 90 km/h even on a 110 km/h limit highway. But if the speed limit were to increase, the speed variance would increase as well because it’s unrealistic to expect a collective rise in driving discipline.

This would call for a minimum speed limit, but that may even be its own topic. See what I mean about the can of worms?

Conclusion

As simple as it sounds, increasing the national speed limit requires more thought than it appears on the surface level. If Malaysian were subjected to the same standards of driving in Finland, then the argument may be a little different.

And what if Malaysian take the liberty to drive even faster than they are now on expressways? There's a saying, "Give someone an inch, they’ll take a mile.” Can we be trusted?

Also read: Here is why strict speed limit enforcement is better than it sounds