Punish errant motorcyclists

A view of bikers going left and right beside a car along Jalan Semantan

MALAYSIA seems to hold a record of sorts for being among the highest at risk for fatal accidents in the world. And we have held the record since 1996! The Malaysian Institute Of Road Safety And Research recorded 7,152 deaths in 2016 of which 62.7% involved motorcyclists. We also hold the joint record with Vietnam for the highest number of motorcycle fatalities in Asia — a death rate of more than 20 per day! And these statistics are only an estimate due to under-reporting for fear of prosecution under the law. The real figures might be even bigger. With Hari Raya fast approaching, we must brace ourselves for more unsettling news.

Statistics show that the majority of these accidents involved motorcyclists between 16 and 20 years of age. They mainly occur in rural areas where the safety helmet is never worn or loosely buckled to deceive the authorities. Surprisingly, the record also shows that female motorcyclists riding without licences account for a higher percentage of accidents than their male counterparts!