Teenage motorcyclists between the ages of 16 and 29 account for the highest number of fatalities among Malaysians involved in road accidents, said Datuk Roslan Eusoff, deputy director-general of Road Safety Department.
While Roslan didn't provide exact figures of fatalities this year, he mentioned that there has been a decrease in road fatalities due to accidents, with 360 cases in 2015 compared to 378 in 2014.
He attributed this to the efforts of various parties, reiterating the goal of achieving zero fatalities.
“This cannot be achieved without the implementation of planned and ongoing activities, as well as the cooperation of various parties, be it government or private sectors,” he said.
Roslan delivered this information in a speech at the Special Advocacy Programme on Road Safety at Pusat Memandu Mutiara in Sungai Dua, Gelugor in Penang.
Organised by Penang Road Safety Department and Pusat Memandu Mutiara, one of the event highlights was the disposal of 200 old helmets which do not meet Malaysia's SIRIM Standard.
The old helmets were collected from several road safety campaigns held previously.
Roslan said it is important for teenagers and children to be educated on road rules and safety, such as wearing SIRIM-approved helmets. Only 65% of Malaysian motorcyclists complied with helmet wearing regulations.
Penang ranked fourth in the highest number of road accidents in 2014 (38,747) and 2015 (39,856) after Selangor, Johor and Kuala Lumpur.
Here are some safety tips for the motorcyclists out there:
- Wear a full faced helmet. Make sure it is SIRIM-approved, sturdy and reliable. It may cost more but its worth it in the event of an emergency. Wearing a good quality helmet can reduce the risk of death from a road crash by 40% and the risk of severe injury by over 70%.
- Make sure to wear the helmet correctly. No matter how expensive your helmet, it won't do any good if its not correctly fastened.
- Make sure everyone on the motorbike has a helmet.
- Try not to overload your bike with passengers. It's common to see a family of five on one motorcycle in Malaysia. Sometimes without proper head gear. Consider taking public transport instead of risking the entire family.
- Be patient on the road. Every one is in a rush to get somewhere, but remember to make safety a priority.
Source: The Star
Image credit: The Star