Published: Saturday August 8, 2009 MYT 3:27:00 PM
More motorcyclists wearing helmets, fewer dying
By SHARON LING
KUCHING: The Road Safety Department’s national helmet campaign is beginning to show results, with increasing numbers of motorcyclists now wearing helmets and fatalities declining.
The department’s director-general Datuk Suret Singh said the percentage of motorcyclists wearing helmets in urban areas had gone up to nearly 99% from 80% since the campaign was launched 18 months ago.
In semi-urban areas the figure was 70-80%, up from 40-50%, while in rural areas nearly half of all motorcyclists were now wearing helmets compared to about 20% before the campaign.
“We are not only emphasising the wearing of helmets, but Sirim-approved helmets and not half-shell helmets. The helmets must also be buckled on properly,” he told reporters after launching the Genting Helmets for Children campaign at SK Siol Kanan in Petra Jaya here Saturday.
Suret said proper helmet wearing was important because about 58% of road fatalities in Malaysia last year involved motorcyclists and pillion riders, and 60% of them died due to head injuries.
He added that the total deaths among motorcyclists and pillion riders had decreased slightly, with 1,934 in the first six months of this year compared to 1,939 in the same period last year.
However, he said more needed to be done to educate motorcyclists and other road users on road safety issues.
“We have introduced road safety education and other programmes like road safety clubs and traffic wardens in schools. For adults, we have various safety and awareness campaigns.
“Our aim is to achieve a new safety first culture among road users, not safety last or safety when convenient,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Suret said the Genting helmet campaign was targeted at pupils who go to school on motorcycles.
“We want to encourage them to wear Sirim-approved helmets and to educate them on the importance of wearing them correctly,” he said.
Under the campaign, 500 helmets sponsored by Genting Malaysia Bhd were given to pupils from 10 primary schools in Petra Jaya.
Genting corporate services vice president Kay Prakash said Sarawak was the fifth state where the campaign has been launched, after Selangor, Perak, Terengganu and Penang.
“Next we’ll be going to Sabah,” she said, adding that nine states had been selected for the campaign based on their high motorcycle fatalities. The remaining three states are Pahang, Kedah and Johor.
News Poll
- Man posted doctored photos of Nik Aziz
- Heartbreaking wait for mum
- Sodomy II: Karpal claims judge lied (Updated)
- The world just got bigger
- Opposition leaders decry court’s ruling
- Thumbs-up for Najib
- Weather warning for Perak, Selangor and Sabah
- 5-0 for BN’s Zambry
- Saiful files report over death threat
- WWF: Orang asli being used
- 60 lose RM25mil in gold investment scam
- Canberra to set new skills list
- Sodomy II: Karpal claims judge lied (Updated)
- MAS offers CNY bargains
- ‘Flashing candy’ a health hazard: Health Ministry
- Saiful files report over death threat
- Fleet card cloning ring busted with arrest of trio
- WWF: Orang asli being used
- Vietnamese plumber fined RM10,000 over RM75 bribe
- Toyota puts the brakes on problem
RSS
