The Director-General of Miros, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said that they decided to work with USM based on its excellent record in education and research.
“USM has a great deal of expertise to offer Miros in its efforts to find the best method to overcome various road safety issues, including reducing the number of road accidents," he said.
He said this at a press conference after the MoU signing ceremony between USM and Miros. Tan Sri Ani Arope, the Chairman of the USM Board of Directors was also present at the function.
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Farhan explained that Miros is currently in the process of gathering data on the profiles of accident victims from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kubang Kerian, Kelantan for further study.
He added that prior to this the Royal Malaysian Police had cooperated with Miros in helping them obtain data on road accidents. However, this was still inadequate as there was a very great disparity between the data obtained from the Police and the data obtained from the Hospital.
He explained that this disparity was due to the reluctance of accident victims to make police reports. They would rather seek treatment at the hospital.
“To carry out studies, Miros needs a variety of information, including a complete data profile on the victims’ injuries as well as the cause of the accidents so that appropriate action can be taken. Once the data is complete, and with a more holistic research methodology, Miros can then identify the most suitable method to reduce injuries or fatalities due to accidents,” he said.
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Farhan added that the studies that will be given prominence include an in-depth study on how to prevent or reduce the impact of an accident.
“For instance, for riders who speed, there is a possibility that they may fracture their arms or legs. But we may be able to encourage them to wear protective equipment to reduce the risk of serious injuries,” he said
Apart from data from HUSM, Ahmad Farhan said, that they are also collaborating in the field of community research. This is an opportunity to carry out studies, provide exposure, stategies and campaigns in changing the perception of road users, especially the campus community.
“If this is successful, Miros will move on to the second phase by taking the experience from USM and putting it into practice in the outside world, one that is more challenging,” he said.
At the same function, Prof. Tan Sri Dzulkifli also signed a MoU with Universitas Malikussaleh Acheh (UNIMAL) Indonesia. The partnership would enable USM to achieve success in several issues on its agenda, including helping UNIMAL develop its area of publications.
Besides the MoU, USM also launched its Rakan Trafik 2010 Campaign organized by final-year students from the School of Communication. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness on road safety in the campus.
