By Assoc Prof Dr Siti Noor Fazelah Mohd Noor and Dr Rahmat Shazi

The recent tragic event in Malaysia, in which 15 university students were killed in a terrible road crash, has rocked the country to its very foundations.

Many saw it as a wake-up call, a horrific reminder that behind every "accident" lies a chain of avoidable failures, in infrastructure, policies, and even in the systems meant to keep us safe – systems that depend on clear, prompt, and timely information.

In many developing and developed countries, road safety is still narrowly framed around traffic laws, driver behaviour, and engineering solutions.

However, the truth is that many of the most devastating crashes stem from communication breakdowns at multiple levels – between government agencies, contractors, enforcement units, transport operators, and the public. These failures are not abstract. They cost lives.

Communication is infrastructure

Communication is not just about public awareness campaigns or media statements after a crash. In public safety, communication is infrastructure. It underpins everything from how road work is signposted to how driver violations are tracked and enforced.

Take Malaysia, for example. While the Ministry of Transport and the Public Works Department are responsible for road planning and maintenance, their efforts are often poorly coordinated.

Construction zones appear with inadequate warning. Signs are vague, misplaced, or entirely absent. Drivers have little time to prepare for sudden detours, uneven roads, or hazards. This isn’t just poor management – it’s a failure to communicate risk.

In contrast, countries like New Zealand and Sweden integrate communication as a core part of road safety.

Their signage is clear, specific, and strategic – providing real-time data like “Steep Slope – 15°” or “Sharp Turn – 75° Ahead.” These aren't just details – they are lifesaving messages crafted based on human behaviour, perception, and decision-making.

When policies don’t talk to practice

In many countries, regulations exist on paper but fail in practice due to a lack of communication between levels of government. Are transport ministries sharing safety updates with local councils?

Do enforcement officers get notified about changes in vehicle inspection laws or updates in road safety standards? Does the public receive timely alerts about construction or road closures?

Without a centralised, consistent flow of information, different agencies operate in silos. In communication theory, this is called “noise” – when the message becomes distorted or never reaches the intended recipient. On the road, this noise results in injury and death.

Incompetent drivers still behind the wheel

One of the most disturbing forms of communication failure occurs when drivers with a history of violations – including multiple summonses and reckless driving records – are allowed to continue driving public or commercial vehicles.

This is not just a failure of enforcement but also a failure to link data systems, flag high-risk individuals, and communicate effectively across licensing and transportation departments.

When a driver with a known poor safety record is put behind the wheel of a bus carrying children or students, it is not just negligence – it is institutional silence. And it is costing lives.

Unsafe vehicles on the road

The issue extends beyond drivers. Many public vehicles are unfit for the road yet continue to operate. Buses with faulty brakes, expired inspection stickers, or worn-out tyres still carry passengers on highways.

Why? Because of gaps in vehicle monitoring systems and a lack of data sharing between agencies.

Vehicle inspection reports may not be digitised. Licensing bodies may not communicate with operators. There is no real-time alert system for defective vehicles still in service.

These are not isolated oversights. They are deep-seated communication breakdowns within systems that should be safeguarding public lives.

The silent risk of road contractors

Another weak link often ignored is road contractors. Contractors frequently neglect basic safety communication standards – failing to put up visible warning signs, using poorly lit barricades at night, or leaving hazardous equipment on active roadways.

Many do not submit any form of risk communication plan when beginning a project. And many are not required to.

Governments must require all contractors to submit to and adhere to structured communication protocols.

These should outline where and how signs will be placed, how traffic flow will be managed, how changes will be communicated to authorities and drivers, and how safety will be ensured during and after the work.

Public awareness alone isn't enough

Of course, drivers also have a role to play. But they cannot take responsibility for risks they are not aware of.

In many countries, public awareness campaigns around road safety are seasonal – launched only during holidays or after major accidents. These efforts, while well-meaning, are rarely supported by a long-term strategy or behavioural science.

What’s needed are sustained, research-informed communication campaigns. These should target not just individual drivers but also transport operators, youth groups, and rural communities.

Communication must be contextual, frequent, and clear – using every available platform from radio to social media to in-vehicle displays.

A systemic approach to road safety

In the field of public health, it is well established that risk reduction is not the sole responsibility of individuals – it relies heavily on well-designed, interconnected, and responsive systems.

Road safety should be approached with the same mindset. It requires an ecosystem in which communication flows seamlessly between ministries, enforcement bodies, transport operators, contractors, and the public.

To build such a system, governments – both in Malaysia and around the world – must take several key actions.

First, driver and vehicle databases should be fully digitised and integrated across agencies to enable real-time identification of high-risk drivers and unfit vehicles.

Second, all road contractors must be required to submit and follow clear communication plans, which should be subject to regular audits.

Third, ministries, transportation departments, and enforcement units must be brought together under a unified safety framework to eliminate fragmented decision-making.

Additionally, road signage and hazard alerts should be standardised based on behavioural research rather than mere convenience, ensuring that messages are understood and acted upon effectively.

In the long term, data-driven public safety campaigns should also be launched, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups, including students, migrant workers, and rural populations.

Lastly, citizens should be empowered to report unsafe conditions or practices through accessible whistleblower systems, apps, and hotlines, making safety a shared and participatory responsibility.

When governments commit to this integrated approach, road safety can shift from a reactive response to a proactive and preventative system.

While this discussion draws heavily on recent tragedies in Malaysia, the patterns are visible worldwide – from rural roads in India to busy highways in the United States.

Everywhere, we see that communication is often the missing link in public safety. We have advanced technologies, funding, and policies – but without proper communication structures, these tools are often underutilised or fail to reach the people who need them most.

Communication is not a soft skill – it’s a life-saving system

If there's one lesson we must learn from the loss of those 15 students, it is this: road deaths are not just the result of bad drivers or poor roads.

They are the product of disconnected systems, silent institutions, and ignored messages. The tragedy is not only that they died – but that their deaths could have been prevented if the right people had spoken, listened, and acted in time.

Communication is not a secondary issue. It is a first line of defence. Until we recognise that, we will continue to lose lives not just to accidents but to avoidable silence.

-- BERNAMA

Assoc Prof Dr Siti Noor Fazelah Mohd Noor is Head, Centre for Communication Research, Centre for Language Studies, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).

Dr Rahmat Shazi is the Technology Director of ShazInnovation Solution.