New Speed Traps Will Track Your Entire Journey: Maybe It’s Time For Longer R&R Breaks After All

The new AwAS system will calculate your average speed between points, so those dramatic brake-and-wave moments at speed cameras are now just nostalgic memories.

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Transport Minister Anthony Loke just dropped a bombshell: the country’s Automated Awareness Safety System (AwAS) cameras are getting a serious upgrade.

Forget those old-school static speed traps – we’re talking about a sophisticated point-to-point system that’ll track your average speed over extended distances.

“What we want to move towards with this new approach is that we now have new technology; we will look between two checkpoint points,” Loke declared during a press conference on Monday (6 January).

The new system won’t just bust you for slowing down at a single camera point before gunning it again – it’ll calculate your average speed between two checkpoints based on time and distance.

Do the math wrong (or rather, too fast), and you’ll find a ticket in your mailbox.

Menurut Menteri Pengangkutan, Anthony Loke, ia membolehkan pemantauan kelajuan kenderaan dilakukan secara lebih menyeluruh dengan mengukur kelajuan purata kenderaan antara dua titik kamera berdasarkan jarak dan masa perjalanan. #menteripengangkutan #mot #anthonyloke #AwAS pic.twitter.com/LqRTEpmYY3
— demirakyatpenang (@drpulaupinang) January 7, 2025

Death Zones No More: Targeting Malaysia’s Deadliest Road Stretches

The initial rollout targets some of Malaysia’s most notorious danger zones – the white-knuckle stretches of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway at Genting Sempah and the infamous Menora Tunnel in Ipoh.

These spots have seen their fair share of white crosses, particularly from heavy vehicles taking the hills too hot.

The current setup is like putting a cop at one spot – everyone behaves there and then floors it right after, Loke explained, clearly frustrated with the current cat-and-mouse game.

We don’t want drivers to slow down only in front of the camera, but (to stay slow) for a certain distance. Let’s say between point A and point B, we want to know how long drivers take.

Beyond Penalties: How Smart Surveillance is Reshaping Road Safety in Malaysia

This isn’t just about writing tickets – it’s part of a larger strategy to actually change driving behaviour and reduce Malaysia’s road fatality rates.

The Transport Ministry is betting big that this more comprehensive surveillance approach will force drivers to maintain legal speeds throughout their journey, not just when they spot a camera flash.

For those thinking about beating the system – good luck. This isn’t your grandfather’s speed trap.

The point-to-point technology is already proving its worth in other countries, and Malaysia’s version promises to be equally sophisticated.

The days of temporary brake checks at known camera spots are numbered.