55 motorcyclists killed in five days of Op Selamat

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KUALA LUMPUR: Motorcyclists had the highest number of casualties in five days of Op Selamat (Road Safety Operation in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festive period) beginning Feb 12 with 55 deaths reported as of Monday.

Federal (Bukit Aman) traffic police chief Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff said since the operation started, 85 people died in 75 fatal accident cases.

The next highest casualties involved car drivers and passengers with 18 deaths recorded, five pedestrians also losing their lives along with three cyclists while four victims involved other cases, with most of those killed aged between 16 and 25.

“Perak recorded the highest number of road fatalities involving 17 people, Johor (14), Selangor (13) and Penang (7),” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Mohd Fuad said police would be focusing on 60 blackspots throughout the country including 17 in Johor, Perak (12), Kelantan (7) while Selangor and Negeri Sembilan have six blackspots respectively.

He said 87,350 summonses were also issued during the period to traffic offenders for overspeeding, driving in the emergency lane, cutting queues, overtaking on the double line and beating the traffic light.

Mohd Fuad said during the period, police also carried out 4,899 visits to houses left vacant during the Chinese New Year.

“As at yesterday, only 571 ‘balik kampung’ forms have been received from houseowners. In this regard, we are requesting houseowners to visit the nearest police station to alert police of their vacant houses to prevent untoward incidents,” he said.

In Melaka, state Fire and Rescue director Nazili Mahmood said his department had stationed its men at the Ayer Keroh toll plaza here and Lipat Kajang toll plaza in Jasin in conjunction with the operation.

He the men would be able to respond to emergencies faster from the two locations. — Bernama