Police want parents liable for underage motorcycle deaths

SEPANG: Police are looking at subjecting parents or guardians to punishment for cases involving deaths of underage motorcyclists.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said between Jan 1 and March 31 this year, 13 primary school students and 296 secondary school students died in road accidents involving motorcycles.

These numbers are alarming compared to the fatalities involving 37 primary school students and 253 secondary students in 2014, he said.

Khalid said under a new measure, parents or guardians of underage motorcyclists will be subject to punishment under the Child Act 2001 and not just the Road Transport Act 1987.

"Police view this matter seriously and will take stern action against family members or guardians who allow underaged kids to ride motorcycles, whether to school or for leisure.

"We will no longer accept excuses that the kids are riding the motorcycle without their knowledge as it is their responsibility to limit the kids' access to the machines," he said at function at KLIA2.

Police issued 46,392 traffic summonses to motorcyclists below the age of 16 in 2014.

Up to March 31 this year, 5,499 summonses had already been issued to underage motorcyclists for various traffic-related offences.

"We will discuss with the A-G's chambers about possibly implementing these amendments," he said, adding that a large-scale operation is ongoing to clamp down on traffic offences.