5,083 road accident deaths recorded for Jan-Sept

MALACCA: A total of 5,083 deaths were recorded in 400,788 road accidents nationwide between January and September this year.
Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director, SAC Sharul Othman Mansor said of the total, 1,077 fatal accidents involved schoolchildren aged between six and 20, followed by 1,150 people who were seriously injured and 1,675 people with minor injuries.
During the same period, deaths involving motorcyclists aged 16 to 25, was the highest recorded at 1,043 from 3,232 accidents, he said.
"Motorcyclists and pillion riders are still the most vulnerable and at the highest risk of being involved in accidents among road users in the country," he told reporters after launching a Road Safety and Crime Prevention Campaign here yesterday.
Sharul Othman said motorcyclists and pillion riders were of a high risk group because most of them often ignored traffic signals and other safety aspects.
He added that in the same period, 764 arrests were made through 2,795 operations against illegal races involving motorcyclists and pillion riders.
He said based on the situation, the police organised road safety and crime prevention campaigns under the National Blue Ocean Strategy Initiative with higher education institutions in the country, to raise awareness and road safety aspects among the younger generation. — Bernama