Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said he was 'sad and frustrated' with the number of fatal road accidents during the festive season.

He said the government had done everything to make roads and highways safe, including making them wider so that motorists could travel safely to their destinations.

"But all these seem not to mean much to road users. Certainly there are those who don't drive safely. When this is the case, accidents will happen. And because of one person, others too will lose their lives," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

"I am so saddened and feel very frustrated," he told the monthly assembly of staff of the Prime Minister's Department over the 233 deaths recorded during the two-week Ops Sikap IX which ended last Thursday.

Human attitudes

Noting that the matter appeared to have become very difficult to solve, he said he was puzzled as to why it was so difficult to change human attitudes.

Police statistics showed that there was 33 more deaths or a 16.5 percent increase compared to last year.

Abdullah said those who follow traffic rules were also not safe.

"This is because others do not drive carefully and when there is an accident, not only are they hurt or killed but others as well," he added.

The premier said death by road accidents was a great loss to parents and other loved ones.