Vehicle defect is one of the contributing factors of road mishaps, although the magnitude of the problem is less prominent compared to human behaviour or road environment factors. What is more important is that this technical problem may find a more direct solution as opposed to human behavioural issues. This study aims to discuss common vehicle defects that probably contribute to road crashes by using Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI) database as the basis. Data was analysed to determine common failures of private passenger vehicles based on selected inspections and vehicle types. At this stage, only voluntary and routine inspections were scrutinized. In addition, this study is able to predict the probability of a vehicle failure by using information from the database. From such an analysis, it was found that the two most common private passenger vehicle defects were worn out tire (or lack of tread) and structural integrity. It was also found that vehicles sent for voluntary inspection have a higher probability of failure compared to those sent for routine inspection.

The Safety Warning Triangle (SWT) is a device to alert other road users on the hazard ahead. Currently, SWT usage in Malaysia is only mandatory for commercial vehicles. Therefore, this study aims to assess private vehicle (PV) users' knowledge and perception of SWT, and include a feasibility study to make SWT mandatory for PV. A total of 447 respondents answered an online survey and results show that almost 50% of PV users did not have clear understanding of SWT usage in terms of its practicality, even though 97% of them agreed on the necessity to use SWT if they face any emergency situation whilst on the road. Therefore, more initiatives including awareness campaigns and educational programs on the proper use of SWT are needed. As for the ideal SWT usage in Malaysia, after considering all the factors found in the review of international practices on SWT usage, two recommendations are proposed by the authors: (1) a similar concept applied in Japan to be referred to and implemented in Malaysia; (2) continue the current practices in Malaysia and to include private vehicles in the mandatory list.