A total of 255,532 road accidents were reported from January to September 2021, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. Based on police statistics, of this number, 3,302 were fatal.
For the whole of 2020, 418,237 accidents were recorded, with 4,634 fatalities. “The sudden reduction in traffic deaths for 2020 compared to previous years is the result of lockdowns, reducing the amount of traffic and thereby the number of traffic fatalities,” said Dr Wee during the launch of the Chinese New Year road safety and “Ops Selamat” campaign in Putrajaya.
He added to reduction in traffic deaths due to restricted movement not only happened in Malaysia, but worldwide. “All nations around the world recorded a reduction in road fatalities, up to 20%, including Malaysia where the reduction was 25% in 2022,” Dr Wee said.
Aside from this, based on Ops Selamat 16 by police, 23,308 road accidents were recorded during the Chinese New Year holiday period in 2020. Of this, 206 accidents were reported as fatal, with 230 deaths.
“This figure of 230 road user deaths in two weeks during the festive period is worrisome. To me, this is an indication the road safety literacy level amongst road users is far short of a commendable level,” said Dr Wee. Ops Selamat is scheduled to run from Jan 28 to Feb 6, 2022.
Keyword: 255,532 road accidents Jan-Sep 2021, 3,302 deaths