PUTRAJAYA: The government, through the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion, has set a target to reduce road accident fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said coordination of policies, resources and accountability among ministries and agencies would be strengthened so that every intervention is not only implemented, but results in a measurable reduction in deaths and serious injuries.
He said the move was important as 6,537 lives were lost due to road accidents last year, equivalent to 18 deaths a day.
More worryingly, he said motorcycle riders and pillion riders accounted for about 66 per cent of total fatalities, although motorcycles only represented 14 per cent of the total number of vehicles involved in accidents.
"This means almost two out of three road fatalities involve motorcycle riders or pillion riders,” Ahmad Zahid said in a statement after chairing the committee meeting on Monday (Aug 17).
Ahmad Zahid said the figures showed that the government could no longer rely on conventional approaches, but needed to implement more targeted interventions for high-risk groups, while addressing other factors such as infrastructure safety, healthcare, education, enforcement and urban planning more comprehensively.
He also emphasised that the socioeconomic losses resulting from road fatalities last year were estimated at RM30bil based on the Value of Statistical Life (VOSL) approach.
"This proves that investment in road safety is not merely expenditure, but an investment in saving lives, protecting families and reducing losses to the national economy," he added.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the committee also agreed to implement the Road Safety Framework Programme (Safero) in stages in collaboration with the Transport Ministry, PETRONAS, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), the Road Transport Department (JPJ) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
He said Safero would leverage industry expertise in defensive driving, fatigue management and monitoring driver behaviour to enhance the competency and professionalism of heavy vehicle drivers.
In addition, Ahmad Zahid said Op Cegah, conducted by the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), would be strengthened through collaboration with the police, JPJ and employers through the use of data to identify high-risk organisations and areas.
"PERKESO data showed that the fatality rate from accidents involving workers commuting to and from work in 2024 was 2.4 times higher than that of industrial accidents," he said.
Op Cegah is PERKESO's employer-friendly programme, or soft approach, to raise awareness among employers and employees to practice a culture of occupational accident prevention.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said road safety was a shared responsibility that required a whole-of-society approach.
"The government can provide policies, infrastructure, technology and enforcement, but a culture of safety can only be developed when industries, employers and every road user play their respective roles.
"The measure of our success is not how many campaigns or operations are carried out, but how many lives we can save," he reminded. – Bernama
