While having a roof rack on your car is acceptable, it needs to meet JPJ requirements first
So we Malaysians enjoy recreational activities. Sometimes these little weekend (or week long) activities can require us to carry along a canoe or a big meat grill or the like. So to facilitate these, we need to carry large items on our cars and will be needing roof racks to do so.
However, many are rather confused as to whether these roof racks are allowed or not under the Road Transport department (JPJ) laws, and the answer is yes, it is allowed, but, there are some rules and conditions that one needs to follow in order for their roof rack to be considered legal.
All right, so let me explain further. JPJ allows car owners to fit a roof rack on top of their personal vehicle to carry items such as ladders, small boats, canoes, kayaks or surf boards. This is perfectly legal and is allowed.
One can even do so without seeking approval from JPJ first but they will need to make sure that the roof rack fitting adheres to these conditions set by JPJ otherwise they will need to get approval from JPJ first before fitting the roof racks.
The first condition one must meet with their roof racks is that it needs to be fitted firmly on the vehicle and the height of the roof rack cannot exceed 230mm above the height of the car roof.
The next condition is that the length and width of the roof rack must not exceed the width of the car roof. Another condition one’s roof rack must meet in order to fit it without approval from JPJ first is that the items being carried on the roof rack must not be longer than the roof of the car to the point where the item pokes out to the front of the car.
The last condition for fitting a roof rack without getting approval from JPJ is that the item(s) being carried must be securely tied down. JPJ recommends at least two bounds.
That just about sums up the requirements for fitting a roof rack on your car without getting approval from JPJ first, but we here at DSF still do advise that if you do fit a roof rack on your car, please get approval from JPJ first as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Remember to always stay safe while driving and ensure your roof racks do not endanger the safety of anyone on the road.
