Road safety advocate urges tougher oversight of RXZ bike rallies

 Shahrim Tamrin says the death toll has risen over three years, with two fatalities recorded in 2024, five in 2025, and 11 this year.

A road safety activist said the rising death toll from the RXZ Members 2.0 gathering shows a worsening pattern each time the event is held.

PETALING JAYA:

Road safety advocate Shahrim Tamrin has called for safety audits and stricter regulations after 46 road accidents and 11 fatalities were recorded during the RXZ Members 8.0 gathering in Terengganu this year.

Shahrim said a three-year trend showed two fatalities recorded in 2024, five in 2025, and 11 this year, indicating a worsening pattern each time the event is held.

“The focus should not be limited to enforcement after road accidents occur, but should instead encompass comprehensive risk management before, during and after the event,” he said in a statement.

During the event, police also seized 222 motorcycles for offences including modified exhausts, non-compliant registration plates, missing side mirrors, riding without a valid driving licence, expired motor vehicle licence, lack of insurance and underage riding.

Shahrim said every edition of the event should be followed by a comprehensive safety audit covering the number of road safety accidents, locations, timing, causes, rider profiles, motorcycle-related factors and enforcement effectiveness.

“The audit report should be published before the following year’s event so that improvements are based on evidence rather than assumptions or reactions after repeated tragedies,” he said.

He said the police and road transport department (JPJ) should also publish detailed breakdowns of every road accident and motorcycle seized, categorised into unregistered motorcycles, registered but modified motorcycles, and motorcycles that fully comply with specifications.

He said the authorities’ data showed that many of the motorcycles seized had technical safety issues, not merely documentation problems.

He said JPJ should differentiate between mechanically standard motorcycles with missing or outdated registration records and structurally modified motorcycles that no longer comply with safety standards.

He said the first category could be considered for a simplified administrative regularisation process, subject to a full Puspakom inspection, while the second should undergo mandatory Puspakom inspections, with owners required to restore their motorcycles to factory specifications or have their registrations cancelled.

Shahrim also suggested an enforcement presence at strategic locations like major highway entry points and around Kuala Terengganu throughout the event, prioritising high-risk offences, including riding without a valid licence, road tax or insurance.

Other recommendations

He said authorities should issue travel time advisories at least two weeks before the event, similar to those given during festive seasons, to inform participants of peak travel periods, alternative routes and recommended rest stops.

“This would help reduce prolonged riding without adequate rest, which has been identified as a contributing factor in several fatal crashes involving journeys to and from the event,” he said.

Shahrim said police and JPJ should work with RXZ clubs and event organisers to train marshals and convoy leaders in advance on safe convoy operations, including following distances, group speed limits and emergency response protocols.

Additionally, he said JPJ and Puspakom should conduct random noise tests during such events, while the environment department reviews emission limits for older two-stroke motorcycles used at large gatherings. - FMT