PUTRAJAYA: A target of reducing road accident fatalities, particularly those involving motorcyclists, by 50 per cent by 2030 has been set by the government through the Cabinet Committee on Road Safety and Traffic Congestion.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said coordination of policies, resources and accountability among ministries and agencies would be strengthened to ensure every intervention was implemented effectively and resulted in measurable reductions in deaths and serious injuries.
He said the move was important as 6,537 lives were lost in road accidents last year, equivalent to 18 deaths a day as reported by NST.
More worryingly, he said motorcyclists and pillion riders accounted for about 66 per cent of total fatalities, although motorcycles represented only 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,” he said in a statement after chairing the committee meeting, Monday.
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.
He said other factors, including infrastructure safety, healthcare, education, enforcement and urban planning, also needed to be addressed comprehensively.
He also emphasised that the socioeconomic losses resulting from road fatalities last year were estimated at RM30 billion 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.
Zahid said the committee also agreed to implement the Road Safety Framework Programme (Safero) in stages in collaboration with the Transport Ministry, Petronas, Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), Road Transport Department (JPJ) and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).
He said Safero would leverage industry expertise in defensive driving, fatigue management and driver behaviour monitoring to enhance the competency and professionalism of heavy vehicle drivers.
In addition, Zahid said Op Cegah, conducted by the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), would be strengthened through collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Police, Road Transport Department and employers.
The initiative would use 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, aimed at raising awareness among employers and employees and promoting a culture of occupational accident prevention.
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 are able to save,” he added.
