PETALING JAYA: Most Malaysian road users have a poor sense of awareness about the importance of safety and the consequences of being involved in road crashes, said Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
“Quite a number of our motorcyclists are not riding carefully and therefore, increase the risk of collisions with other road users. It boils down to individual attitudes and awareness.
“The lack of responsibility among motorists and larger vehicles also plays a part. Drivers need to maintain or increase their observation whenever motorcyclists are on public roads,” he said.
Lee stressed that motorcyclists must follow safe riding guidelines and rules when going through traffic. That includes travelling at much slower speed, maintaining a safe distance, and not swerving in and out of traffic.
He said they have the same rights as other road users on which lane they can use, unless the road they are travelling on has a dedicated motorcycle lane.
“Our roads are not designed in a way that motorcyclists can stay on the left lane most of the time. They have to switch lanes when they need to turn at a junction.
“There is also a risk of getting run over by larger vehicles such as lorries and buses as they also mostly travel on the left side of the road.”
Lee urged the government to allocate a higher budget for constructing new lanes and maintaining the existing ones for the safety of motorcyclists.
He said motorcyclists must be aware of other larger vehicles on the road and ride safely according to what they learnt in driving schools. The syllabus is sufficient to educate and train new and seasoned motorcyclists on safe riding.
“The most important factor is the candidates themselves. Apart from passing the test and getting their licence, they have to follow what they learnt in training to become safer riders.
“Driving institutes are doing their best to deliver the syllabus provided by authorities. However, when motorcyclists are on public roads, enforcement agencies must ensure they monitor and enforce the traffic rules and laws,” he said.
