Miros director of road user behaviour, Azhar Hamzah said motorcycle accidents accounted for approximately 20 per cent out of the more than 500,000 crashes reported every year. – File photo
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 9): The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) is working together with the Ministry of Transport to come up with a 10-year plan to lower the number of fatalities involving motorcycle riders in road accidents in the country.
Its director of road user behaviour, Azhar Hamzah said motorcycle accidents accounted for approximately 20 per cent out of the more than 500,000 crashes reported every year.
“For the past 20 years, more than 60 per cent fatalities of road accidents are contributed by motorcycle riders with 45 per cent of the victims in the 16 to 30 years old age group.
“In motorcycle crashes, riders play the most important role regardless of the environment and the vehicle they are riding in,” he said in a roundtable session entitled ‘Crash, Boom, Bang #RogerAllianz’ organised by Allianz General Insurance Company (Malaysia) Bhd (Allianz General).
Azhar noted that motorcycle accidents occurred mainly on primary roads with 66 per cent happening on straight road sections, 27.5 per cent on angular or side collisions, 28 per cent involving cars and 25 per cent in a single vehicle crash.
Meanwhile, Allianz General’s chief executive officer, Sean Wang said the company is stepping up its services by offering roadside assistance to riders for its Allianz Motorcycle Plus (Comprehensive) or Allianz Motorcycle (Comprehensive) (below 250cc) policyholders.
“Motorcycle riders are categorised as the underserved segment when it comes to the insurance market in Malaysia. Riders have long waited for better on-the-road service, something the insurer was eager to take on.
“This segment of business is not really a big one as compared to the total auto insurance in the industry and we want to step up to offer comprehensive services to motorcycle riders,” he said.
Wang said the service is complimentary to all its policyholder and will be assisted by the Allianz Road Rangers service. – Bernama