Experts call for skid tests after multiple riders fall on green-painted lane

 

Road safety experts are calling for skid-resistance tests on the green-painted stretch of the Federal Highway motorcycle lane near Subang after a viral video showed multiple riders falling on the rain-soaked surface.

KUALA LUMPUR: Road safety experts are calling for skid-resistance tests on the green-painted stretch of the Federal Highway motorcycle lane near Subang after a viral video showed multiple riders falling on the rain-soaked surface.

While they emphasise that coloured road surfacing is not inherently unsafe, questions remain over whether the coating used at the location provides sufficient traction under wet conditions.

The call comes after a 42-second clip posted on Threads showed several motorcycles lying on the rain-slicked green lane.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Professor Dr Wong Shaw Voon told the New Straits Times he believed the painted surface was applied for a reason, suggesting the coating was likely intended to warn riders of an accident-prone zone.

"It doesn't mean that having painted road surfaces is not good," Wong said, adding that engineering interventions could produce coloured surfaces with even better skid-resistant properties than regular asphalt.

He said repeated incidents at the same location warranted serious attention, and that further inspection and testing were needed.

"We need to test the skid resistance on both dry and wet surfaces," he said.

He noted that a road's grip could decline over time as its surface becomes 'polished', and warned riders against assuming that a newly painted surface allowed them to travel faster.

"You cannot say, 'Now I'm on a new road, so I can drive fast'," he said, adding that taking a bend at high speeds causes a loss of grip regardless of surface quality, and regaining control is difficult once that happens.

He noted that many small motorcycles lack anti-lock braking systems (ABS), increasing the risk of wheel lock when braking while cornering.

"The best way, of course, for the public, for the riders, is to always reduce speed," he said.

Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua said the video alone was not enough to prove the paint caused the falls.

"However, there does appear to be a legitimate safety concern regarding repeated loss-of-control incidents among multiple motorcycles traversing the wet pavement section," he told the New Straits Times.

He recommended a technical inquiry to assess whether the painted surface was slip-resistant enough under wet conditions, particularly during braking, acceleration or turning.

He said friction on the painted surface and adjacent bare asphalt should be measured and compared under wet conditions, along with factors such as drainage, surface texture, contamination, tyre condition, speed and rider paths.

"Research suggests that macrotexture is highly significant for wet performance since the texture allows effective drainage at the tyre-pavement contact patch.

"If the colour application shows significantly poorer wet friction performance compared to asphalt, the treatment area should not be applied at the bends.

"Alternatively, the application design could be revised to ensure satisfactory wet friction performance," he said.

Following the incident, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Public Works Department was examining the site to determine why the riders had lost control at that section.

He said the road was designed to be skid-resistant and promised swift remedial action.

The motorcycle lane where the crashes occurred will be resurfaced and fitted with a 40kph speed sign as an immediate mitigation measure. - NST