MALAYSIA has embarrassing statistics for road fatalities when compared to its Asean neighbours and there is a need to improve on this situation swiftly.
Malaysia ranks fifth in Asean with 25.1 road fatalities per 100,000 population, just below Laos and above Cambodia.
Many people would be quick to point out that the large number of motorcycles on the road is dragging us down but Malaysia is also fifth in terms of number of motorcycles per 100 population.
This means that motorcycles contribute the same ratio of fatalities as the other countries in the region.
A closer look at the statistics show that the number of fatalities in Malaysia is close to those with nearly double the motorcycle adoption rate.
This is further amplified by the fact that the quality of our roads are comparable to those of developed nations, such as Germany.
The fact is that road safety involving motorcycles has been on the lips of road safety advocates in Malaysia for years, with many suggestions made to reduce the numbers of fatalities.
Among them is implementing stricter regulations regarding motorcycle helmets and protective clothing. There are also those who suggest enhancing the training classes for riders.
There is no shortage of experts who say improving road design and maintenance can help reduce the number of motorcycle-related accidents.
This includes adding more motorcycle lanes and improving lighting and visibility on roads.
But a thorny issue in Malaysia is the inconsistent enforcement of traffic laws.
Some experts suggest stricter enforcement of traffic laws regarding speed limits and dangerous driving behaviours.
Only a small handful are promoting alternative modes of transportation, such as using public transit or carpooling.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said using public transportation is much safer than private cars or motorcycles.
Miros said it is trying to get vulnerable road users off roads and onto public transportation as a means to reduce road fatalities involving motorcyclists.
Wong has more than 30 years of experience in the field of engineering and is a member of several committees and boards related to engineering and road safety, including the Board of Engineers Malaysia and the Asean NCAP Technical Committee.
According to World Health Organisation data, the global fatality rate for public transportation is about 0.2 deaths per billion passenger-kilometres travelled, compared to 1.3 deaths for cars and 5.5 deaths for motorcycles.
However, convincing Malaysians to ditch their car or motorcycle for public transportation is no easy task as most of us love the convenience of individual private transportation, especially for long journeys or trips to less accessible areas.
For the motorcyclists, it may not even be possible to convince them that the cost of using public transportation is comparable to commuting on two wheels.
Wong is hopeful that as the public transportation network, especially in the Klang Valley, grows, more people would be drawn to it and, thus, reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
He is also confident that technology such as advanced driver assistance can also contribute significantly to road safety in the future.
At the moment, advanced driver assist features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, lane keeping assist (LKA) and drowsiness warning are offered as options in some cars on Malaysian roads.
In the European Union, the General Safety Regulation requires all new passenger vehicles to be equipped with certain advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as of May 1, 2021.
This followed a number of studies and analyses that demonstrated the effectiveness of such technologies in reducing road accidents and fatalities.
For example, the EU conducted a study on the effectiveness of the AEB technologies, which found that they could reduce the risk of collisions by up to 38 per cent and fatalities by up to 39 per cent.
Similarly, a study on the effectiveness of LKA technologies found that they could reduce the risk of lane departure crashes by up to 85 per cent.
The EU had also considered other data and evidence when it made the decision to make ADAS technologies mandatory.
Wong said while he likes to see such rules implemented in Malaysia, the roadblocks are the costs involved and the need to convince lawmakers of the necessity of these changes.
Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd, a company known for making affordable cars, has implemented these systems in all their models, although not on all variants.
This indicates that the cost penalty is reasonable and should not be a real burden for buyers of the more premium vehicle brands.
