KUALA LUMPUR: Road safety remains a dire issue across Asean, with over 97,000 deaths reported yearly and 3.4 million injuries, says international non-profit Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) Asia-Pacific manager Brett Harman.
He said the issue also has significant economic and human costs, with the region losing approximately 3.8% of its gross domestic product (GDP) annually due to road traffic incidents.
Harman said Malaysia recorded alarming figures, with over 4,600 deaths and around 212,000 injuries reported annually.
Therefore, he said, as Malaysia assumes the Asean chairmanship this year, the urgency of addressing road safety issues has never been more critical, particularly during high-risk periods such as festive seasons and long holidays when traffic volumes surge.
"As Asean's chair, Malaysia is uniquely positioned to lead regional efforts in improving road safety. In the coming weeks, Asean leaders will gather for a crucial ministerial conference to discuss strategies for reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries," he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's Bernama World programme titled Road Safety: Protecting Lives Across Asean.
According to Harman, the key focus of the conference will be advocating for life-saving interventions, such as safer road infrastructure, speed reduction, and enhanced enforcement of traffic laws.
Additionally, Harman emphasised the need for focused efforts on motorcyclist safety, as motorcycles are involved in approximately 70% of road deaths in Malaysia.
He mentioned that the introduction of advanced vehicle safety features, such as Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) for motorcycles, are expected to save lives in Malaysia and across the region.
Aside from addressing key risk factors such as drink driving and the use of seatbelts and helmets, Harman stated that speed limits should also be given attention, particularly in high-risk areas such as school zones and shopping districts.
"There is a plethora of international research that proves by reducing average speeds across the network by just 1km/h can have upwards of a 4% to 5% reduction in fatalities. So, if we are able to reduce speeds by 5km/h, we would anticipate we would be able to achieve around a 30% reduction," he said.
He also noted that lower speeds could ease congestion, reduce pollution, and support climate change efforts. -Bernama
