Make roads safer for motorcyclists, says safety expert

 

Motorcyclists made up 59% of road deaths between 2010 and 2019, according to Malaysia’s road fatalities index.

PETALING JAYA: Make roads safer for motorcyclists, a road safety expert has urged the government, calling for motorcycle lanes to be added to major roads.

“Be fair to them, they also pay road tax.” said Law Teik Hua, of Universiti Putra Malaysia’s road safety research centre.

He said the roads that have been built were designed mainly for cars, not for motorcyclists, although there were roughly an even number of cars and motorcycles on the road, or “50-50”.

Law said the government should give priority to better infrastructure, such as adding motorcycle lanes to major roads. The transport ministry had announced in December that it would incorporate motorcycle lanes on all state and federal roadways to reduce road deaths by half by 2030.

On Monday, the road transport department reported that motorcyclists aged between 15 and 35 were most at risk of getting into road accidents.

Law said motorcyclists lacked protection despite having high exposure on the road.

“In the car, we have the structure of the vehicle itself, which can protect us. We have the airbag and the seat belt,” he told FMT. “But motorcyclists can only rely on the helmet. Even if they wear it, it doesn’t mean it can decrease their risk of fatality substantially.”

Malaysia’s road fatalities index shows that motorcyclists made up 59% of road deaths between 2010 and 2019.

Law did not agree with suggestions made previously for the minimum age for a motorcycle licence to be raised. He said it would not stop underage riding as motorcycles were cheap and accessible.

Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, the former director-general of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, also disagreed with raising the minimum motorcycle licence age.

He said the government should focus on curbing underage riders, who would not have received proper training as they were most likely to have been self-taught or taught by “incompetent” individuals.

“They would be blind to traffic rules because they never learned them on their initial rides. Even after obtaining their licence, old habits will usually prevail,” Ahmad said. - FMT