The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a an updated manual to help policymakers to reduce the number of road traffic deaths and injuries involving motorcycles and other powered two- and three-wheelers – these are collectively referred to as PTWs. “In the 10 years since the first edition of the manual, the global landscape has changed significantly. The rapid increase in the use of powered two and three wheelers poses new challenges,” the organisation said.
Titled ‘Powered two-and three-wheeler safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners‘, it includes guidelines on developing safer roads, ensuring safer mobility for all road users, vehicle safety standards and actions to improve emergency responses to crashes.
The manual also contains concerning statistics. Between 2013 and 2016, the proportion of PTW (powered two- and three-wheelers) deaths increased from 23% to 28%, as observed in all regions (Africa, Americas, Southeast Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific).
“Nearly 30% of all crash fatalities reported to WHO in 2016 involve powered two- and three-wheelers, such as motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and electric bikes (e-bikes). Crashes involving PTWs are often predictable and preventable and should never be accepted as inevitable,” WHO wrote in its manual.
Southeast Asia registered the highest increase from 34% to 43%, with the organisation pointing out that in Cambodia and Thailand, where there is a large PTW fleet, motorcycle fatalities in 2016 accounted for 73% and 74% of total road fatalities respectively.
According to FMT, as of August last year, for every 100 road deaths in Malaysia, 70 involved motorcyclists. This places our country closer to replacing Thailand for having the world’s worst death rate for motorcycle users, and between 2001 and 2021, a total of 89,953 motorcyclists have died on Malaysia’s roads.
Click to enlargeBy comparison, high-income countries in the same region, such as Australia and South Korea, saw motorcycle fatalities make up 20% and 19% of all traffic-related deaths respectively. Young adults aged between 15 and 34 years account for over 60% of all PTW-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries.
In its manual, the WHO also listed out several key risk factors related to the environment that contribute to PTW-related crashes, injury and death. These include a lack of inclusive urban planning, minimal or no segregation of PTWs in traffic, the design of road infrastructure, road surface conditions, roadside hazards and limited public transport infrastructure (restricts commuter choice).
Click to enlargeMeanwhile, risk factors to the road user include failure to wear helmets, excessive speeding, alcohol impairment, a rider’s age and lack of experience, failure to notice approaching PTWs. A lack of crash protection for PTW riders and passengers also puts them at risk, along with the stability of PTWs and potential braking errors also contribute to road deaths involving PTWs.
The WHO manual was launched at the Global Regional Road Safety Observatories Dialogue on Motorcycle Safety, held at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, the Philippines. FMT’s report notes that a delegation from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) is at the event and sharing the research and findings on motorcycle crashes from Malaysia’s perspective, as well as demonstrating the effectiveness of ABS systems for motorcycles.
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in view of how ridiculously fast when most of the motor riders goes on the road and how reckless when they running the red lights, I am not surprised about this result at all.
I was honked for waiting at traffic light by cars. It was still red light. Maybe i am missing something here.
Maybe you are on the left lane and there’s signage ‘Belok kiri jika tiada kenderaan’
No point if the motorcyclist own mentality & attitude don’t change. The mentality where the motorcyclist thinks he is always right & everybody should give way to them, and bow before them.
Wow! Dumb logic indeed. I ride and drive both and it’s always the driver in cars who never give way.
In many European style countries, small motobikes under a certain larger engine size would never be allowed on expressways and motorways because they are considered too dangerous and too vulnerable. The very high accident rate on highways involving small motorbikes in Malaysia would seem to imply that these rules and laws are for good reason.
waaah.. banyaknya stats!! why repeating things we ALREADY know? what’s the solution? *blank stare*
no one can help them other than themselves!
pity those law abiding minority motorcyclist since rogue motorcyclist on the road are majority.
According to punishment and previous media hoo-ha, I thought drink driving was the no.1 caused of death, killing million of people per year?
By percentage ratio, motorcyclist kill themselves more but drunk drivers kills other parties. So drunk driving offence should be heavily punished.
Motorcyclist make stupid action, they suffered themselves but drunkard being stupid kill others innocent
Well, this trims the herd with natural selection.
Jokes aside, i think lack to enforcement and technical riding skills puts the motorcyclist at risk, but honestly, riding stupid attitude as if there are no other vehicles on the road apart from them is what is killing them.
Not to mention aggressive lane splitting as well.
Although many here don’t ride motorcycles, most of you depend on them alot more than you think. So it is OUR responsibility, don’t just keep pointing fingers at them.
There is absolutely nothing whatsoever to incentivize motorcyclists in Malaysia to be safety conscious. They bang cars – they’re not in the wrong and the car owner has to pay for his car repairs himself. Cars bang into them – car drivers are in the wrong. If they ride on the fast lanes on the highway and cause accidents with cars, the cars are in the wrong. They will beat red lights, speed between cars during slow traffic, ride against traffic on one-way streets, endanger car drivers and pedestrians, and nothing will happen to them.
I’m just surprised that the statistics isn’t higher. The more reckless motorcyclists we have on the road, by right the higher the death rate should be to keep other road users safe.
Anak saya baik orangnya…
worst graph ever seen, with almost similar shades of the color….Damn.
What actions u want?
When motorcyclists act like they own the road?
law protek them. apa guna. rempit la aje.
It’s amazing how the WHO uses evidence of failure to suggest what is needed is more of exactly the same things that have led to the current situation. No learning, no new thinking, just the same regurgitated blame game that faults humans for the failure of the system to support them.
Helmet compliance is like a religious crusade to force beliefs onto people, many with strong beliefs in reincarnation. That at best will only save a third of those involved in accidents while doing zero to help anyone avoid them. Spending the last decade focusing all funding only on helmet compliance and non on educating riders has contributed to the lack of progress.
Most accidents happen at less than the posted speed limit. Just speed offers an easy fix for those tasked with attributing blame in hindsight but don’t understand the actual surprise events that led to the accident.
While the only training is focused on rote learning rules and basic machine handling, setting novices up to fail by teaching them how to take off and fly, but not the skills to navigate and land.
Every system has perfectly evolved to get the results it gets.
Malaysian authority shall slowly implement to reduce for people using motorcycle such as Singapore to implement higher Tax and Road Tax to motorcycle since current Malaysia is one of the 2nd highest high income Salary in Asia country. Safe life !!!
Motorcycle in Malaysia shall allow to use 3 wheel or 4 wheel currently only approved for 2 wheel on the road only as more safety during coalition or emergency braking that will not directly fall down.
Currently condition Motorbike rider mostly 80% not follow Malaysia Road Transport regulation such as, Overtake at left and right where he like, crossing Red Traffic Light. Malaysia authority shall tighten the rules and regulation that already implement but no action taken on the Motorcycle rider. Second if Motorcycle do wrongly hit any car at the bonnet. Car owner not allow to claim Motorcycle insurance else car NCB no longer valid. As these is ridiculous that causing more motorcycle accident not follow rules and regulation.
Nice article. Very beneficial. Crawford
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