KUALA LUMPUR: Cases of both vehicle theft and traffic accidents declined by over 10% in 2024 as more Malaysians wise up on road safety and vehicle security, says Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTAREC).
VTAREC chairman Datuk Lokman Jamaan said the number of road accidents, based on insurance industry statistics, declined to 266,716 cases in 2024 from 299,657 cases in 2023, a decrease of just under 11%.
He noted that the 266,716 cases in 2024 involved 229,739 private motorcars, 15,149 motorcycles, and 21,828 commercial vehicles
However, he did note that the figures from the insurance industry were slightly less compared to statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in both years.
“This is because insurance industry statistics reflect claims made by vehicle owners whose vehicles are insured.
“Meanwhile, police statistics cover all accident cases, including those without insurance coverage,” he said in his speech at VTAREC’s nationwide public vehicle theft and road accident awareness campaign 2025 launch on Wednesday (May 28).
He attributed this positive news to more Malaysians becoming increasingly conscious of road safety and vehicle maintenance over the last year due to awareness efforts by VTAREC and the government as a whole.
He then called on all Malaysians to continue this positive trend going forward by abiding by the traffic laws, driving cautiously and alert as well as maintaining both their personal health and vehicle fitness.
“By working together at all levels of society, we can reduce road accident rates and consequently the likelihood of fatal accidents occurring," he added.
On a similarly positive note, Lokman also said that reported vehicle theft cases in 2024 had dropped to 3,925 compared to in 2023 which recorded 4,370 cases.
He said of the almost 4,000 vehicle theft cases in 2024, 1,771 involved private motorcar theft, 1,833 motorcycle theft, and 321 commercial vehicle theft cases.
Similarly, he said that the reduction in these cases was due to the cooperation and solid support of all parties, most importantly being the public's increased awareness on the importance of vehicle security.
“As the next step, VTAREC will also intensify collaboration with ministries, agencies, and other related stakeholders.
“This will include stepping up eradication efforts, preventive measures, and intervention steps against vehicle theft syndicates, cloned vehicle syndicates as well as syndicates involving the 'Rebirthing of Total Loss Vehicles', and 'cut cars'.
“This increased cooperation will ensure more effective interventions can be implemented on the vehicle-related ecosystem to ensure this issue is addressed holistically and collectively,” he said.
He added that VTAREC would also continue its awareness campaign efforts with the police and other non-governmental organisations due to its notable success over the last year.
