IN late September 2024, a 30-year-old driver rammed into five cars in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, killing one person and injuring four others. He later tested positive for methamphetamine (syabu).
Operations conducted by the Road Transport Department in Melaka and Kedah over the past year have frequently uncovered drivers of commercial vehicles who tested positive for meth or cannabis (ganja).
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These incidents underscore the need to implement mandatory urine testing for commercial vehicle drivers to reduce drug-impaired driving, thereby preventing tragedies, saving lives, and safeguarding broader road safety.
Indeed, experts have proposed periodic and random urine testing to detect substance abuse as a necessary addition to stricter penalties for traffic offences.
Numerous collisions involving lorries and buses trace directly back to drivers who used stimulants like methamphetamine.
The public expects commercial drivers who transport goods and passengers over long distances to be thoroughly vetted.
Knowing that they’re drug-free boosts confidence in the safety of our highways and passenger services.
Currently, urine testing is not mandatory within the Road Transport Department’s licensing medical evaluation (Form L8A). This is where Occupational Health Doctors have a crucial role.
Under the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) medical surveillance framework, OHDs are entrusted with:
- Conducting pre-employment and periodic medical exams tailored to job-related hazards;
- Managing biological monitoring, including urine testing, in high-risk roles;
- Maintaining health data confidentiality; and
- Advising employers on follow-up actions and rehabilitative measures.
Incorporating urine screening into the standard fitness-for-duty protocols that are administered and interpreted by OHDs adds professionalism, impartiality and medical rigour to the critical process of employee selection.
With clear and transparent policies, random and post-incident testing conducted by trained medical professionals, and fair procedures for rehabilitation, this framework can respect privacy while keeping our roads safe.
Testing should focus only on those in high-risk roles, like drivers of commercial vehicles who tend to be weighed down by fatigue from long working hours.
Mandating urine testing for commercial vehicle drivers is a societal investment in safety. Coupled with the oversight and medical expertise of OHDs, this approach would not only deter impaired driving but also highlight the government’s and industry’s commitment to a safer transport ecosystem.
Occupational Health Doctor
The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express. If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
