'New course to focus on safe driving'

PUTRAJAYA: The revised driving school curriculum, to be implemented in January, will produce courteous and disciplined drivers, said the Road Transport Department (RTD).

Its director-general, Datuk Ismail Ahmad, said the  curriculum would focus on   safe driving, compared with the current syllabus that focused on driving skills and traffic rules.

  "The revised  curriculum will see learner drivers  assessed on their attitude and behaviour on the road.

  "We aim to produce  drivers who practise safe driving. They should not only possesses good driving skills, but also be considerate and courteous on the road."

 Malaysian drivers, he said, were  known for poor driving skills  and dangerous driving.

  The curriculum, initially scheduled to be implemented last year, encountered delays as  RTD had wanted to produce a  curriculum that would produce good motorists to prevent   the rising number of  accidents. The new curriculum will see the number of learning hours increased from 21 to 22 hours.