PETALING JAYA: Most road deaths in Malaysia are involving motorcyclists.
Some 1,949 motorcyclists were killed on the road between March 18 and Nov 18 - eight months into the movement control order (MCO).
This means that riders made up most or 68%% of the total 2,868 deaths recorded from traffic accidents during this period.
To keep more riders safe, the authorities are pushing for motorcycle lanes to be set up in 101 roads that have been identified with high motorcyclist deaths nationwide.
“Many of these identified roads are in high density areas like Perak, Selangor and Johor.
“But ultimately, we have the safety of every rider in Malaysia in mind, ” Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Datuk Suret Singh tells Sunday Star.
He says Miros, together with the Transport Ministry and the Road Safety Department, has proposed for the lanes to be set up under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
“We are all on the same page about this.
“It is a sustainable solution that will save lives, ” Suret adds.
However, these plans are still in the pipeline and the authorities will need to finalise the proposal before it can be approved.
“Motorcycle lanes have been proven to reduce the number of motorcyclist deaths by 95%, ” he says, adding that this was shown from the existing bike lane along the Federal Highway from Kuala Lumpur to Klang.
The main concern is small bikes - those with small capacity engines below 250cc.
Riders of such motorcycles need to be moved away from other vehicles on the road, Suret says.
“Some 65% of deaths in the last few years are motorcyclists in this category and the trend continues unabated.
“Having motorcycle lanes can save the lives of about 1,000 riders a year.
“With good infrastructure, maintenance and motorcycle-friendly roadside barriers, we can save another 1,000 lives. So that would be 2,000 lives saved in total, ” he projects.
Based on previous research, Suret shares that motorcyclists tend to speed in mixed traffic, with some riding up to 110 to 120 kilometres per hour (kph).
Many also zip out to the right lane, which is dangerous, reckless and not allowed for motorcyclists, he says.
“But in motorcycle lanes, riders tend to keep to an average speed of about 70 to 80 kph, ” he says.
On the increase of food delivery riders on the road, Suret says Miros has had several meetings with them on safety over the last few months.
“We have drawn up safety standard operating procedures and held discussions with food and parcel delivery companies, ” he explains, adding that Miros is pushing hard to strengthen rider safety.
This is especially important since food delivery services like GrabFood and Foodpanda have become more popular due to the movement control order (MCO).
“The booming business of home food delivery is here to stay even after Covid-19, as it has become a new norm.
“Miros is supportive of the strong growth of the business but rider safety should be uppermost in the business owners’ minds, ” Suret adds.
However, he observes that many riders tend to beat the red traffic light and weave between traffic in order to deliver the food on time.
“Such acts are a big no-no as it could cost lives, ” he says.
Of the total number of motorcyclist deaths, Suret says most or 70% of fatalities occur on federal and state roads.
“The remaining 30% are mainly unlicensed riders, including children aged below 16.
“Some are school pupils who ride motorcycles after school. Data shows that the peak time for crashes is between 4pm and 9pm.
“These riders are usually found on estate roads and housing areas. Many of them are underaged and do not understand the risks involved, ” he points out.
Suret urges all parties including parents, village committees and local authorities to stem this trend as it endangers lives of the young riders and other motorists.
Given the smaller volume of traffic on the road due to the MCO, Suret says Miros is expecting the number of road deaths to decline this year.
Over the last four years, road deaths have steadily fallen - from 7,152 in 2016, to 6,740 in 2017,6, 284 in 2018 and 6,167 last year.
“We are expecting a decline anyway as that has been the trend over the last few years.
“But this year, the dip might be even lower due to the intervening months with Covid-19 in the picture, ” he foresees.
Suret says Miros was expecting the death toll on the road to drop below 6,000.
But with the conditional MCO in various states restricting travel, it could go lower than that, he adds.
