Road safety needs urgent reform to achieve zero fatalities, says Lam Thye

The Star

29-06-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: A road safety culture should be cultivated with the aim of supporting "Vision Zero" - a commitment to achieving zero road fatalities, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye ( pic, below ).
Lee, who is a Road Safety Council member, said between January and October last year, 532,125 road accidents were recorded, resulting in 5,364 fatalities.
"It was an average of 14 deaths per day, or one fatal accident every two hours. Alarmingly, 68% of these fatalities involved motorcycle users," he said when contacted on Sunday (June 29).
Motorcycle use on Malaysian roads is clearly high-risk, he added.
'Tragically, many young people are among the victims. Yet, many still believe accidents happen to others, not themselves," he said.
Lee said the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) reported that 16% of motorcycle-related deaths involve teenagers, and 15% involve youths.
"Stress, negligence and overconfidence are key contributors to these statistics, especially among younger riders who disregard road safety measures such as wearing helmets, performing regular maintenance, or adhering to speed limits.
"Reckless behaviour like street racing and 'rempit' culture must be avoided, saying many only reflect on safety after a tragedy strikes," he added.
The Malaysian Road Safety Plan 2022–2030 outlines the government's strategy to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030, Lee said.
"The plan includes measures such as responsible governance, improved vehicle design standards, safer infrastructure for high-risk areas, speed management, better post-crash response, and targeted education for road users — especially motorcyclists.
"However, schools must also play their part in instilling safety practices among students, such as the correct way to cross the road, wearing helmets, and understanding legal responsibilities as riders," he said.