Stricter measures needed to reduce motorcycle accidents and fatalities – Road Safety Council of Malaysia – paultan.org

Statistics have shown that motorcyclists and pillion riders are responsible for the highest number of fatal road accidents in Malaysia every year, accounting for almost 70% of the total. This makes the Kapchai by far the deadliest vehicle in the country, such as The star reports.

The high fatality rate, which has increased since 2023 and 2024, is not surprising as small-displacement motorcycles, especially those under 150cc, are often fatal as their delicate structure provides virtually no protection in accidents, according to the Road Safety Council of Malaysia (MKJR). “This leaves riders highly vulnerable to serious injury or death,” said councilor Datuk Suret Singh.

He said statistics show that 34% of fatalities involving smaller bicycles occur on federal roads, while 32% happen on state roads, 22% on municipal roads and 12% on highways.

Considering that between 85% and 90% of the nearly 16.8 million registered motorcycles in the country Kapchai or small capacity two-wheelers, many of which are often capable of speeds above 110 km/h, the rate is unlikely to drop, with Suret calling for stricter measures to prevent more tragedies.

“Road safety interventions, which focus on commercial and passenger vehicles, can no longer ignore the elephant in the room. With low-capacity motorcyclists accounting for 70% of deaths, we must consider measures that control their use and exposure,” he said.

One of those proposed measures is a temporary six-day ban on motorcycles during the holidays, when roads are used intensively. “Limiting the use of Kapchai two days before, during and after the holidays, this problem could be addressed. This may seem extreme and unpopular, but lives matter,” he said, adding that passengers could carpool or use public transport as an alternative during the temporary ban.

Of course, statistics can also reveal a different face to things. As reported last year, a study by the Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTAREC) found that while the number of fatal accidents involving motorcycles was 12 times higher than the number of fatal accidents involving cars, only 13% of accidents were caused by motorcyclists. The council’s research found that 67% of accidents were caused by cars, while 20% were caused by commercial vehicles. The roads are not to blame either.

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