KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 – The growing number of new vehicles and drivers on the country’s roads have contributed to increased accidents and fatalities each year. Road Safety Department (RSD) director-general Datuk Dr Tam Weng Wah said this was a challenge that had to be faced in the effort to reduce the number of road accidents and deaths.
“According to statistics from the Road Transport Department, the number of vehicles was up from 21,401,269 in 2011 to 22,702,221 in 2012, an increase of 6.08 per cent.
“The number of drivers had also grown from 12,763,452 to 13,303,843 in the same period,” he told a press conference after launching the 2013 Safety Road campaign by the Malaysian Youth Foundation (YBM), here, today.
Also present were YBM chief executive Datuk Mustapa Othman and Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Khiruddin Drahman.
He said Bukit Aman reported that there was an increase of 40 fatalities due to road accidents last year, with a total of 6,917 recorded in 2012 from 6,877 in 2011.
“The total number of accidents also increased by 13,677 to 462,423 cases in 2012 from 448,746 in the previous year.
“From the death cases reported in 2012, motorcycle riders or pillion riders still made up the biggest number with 4,178 cases, while 1,435 cases involved car drivers and passengers, 530 cases involved pedestrians,” he said.
Tam said due to that, road safety campaigns should be intensified so that road users and society at large would be aware, considerate and courteous on the road and respect the rights of other road users.
BERNAMA
