AZMAN Ujang makes it look so simple to reduce motorcycle accidents. His formula is to enforce a 70kph speed limit on motorcycles.

He backs this with a study done by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research which concluded that chances of fatal accidents if the speed limit is set at 70kph could be reduced by 80%. This, he said, is not his imagination but scientific research.

The study may be right, but how do you enforce a 70kph speed limit?

It is naive to think that by limiting the speed limit to 70kph, most if not all motorcyclists will, as good citizens, comply with it. 

He makes a comparison with Hanoi and suggests this city should be visited to study the “art of safe riding”.

I have one question for Azman Ujang: can he tell us the kind of upbringing (home and school) that the safe motorcyclists of today in Hanoi had had during their childhood and teenage years, and the kind of upbringing (home and school) that the reckless Malaysian motorcyclists of today had during their childhood and teenage years?

The road behaviour of the adults has a lot to do with their behaviour during childhood and teenage years.

If the adults of today lacked discipline during their childhood and teenage years, they will be lack discipline on the roads. Setting a speed limit of 70kph is not going to make them voluntarily obey that speed limit. – October 9, 2018.

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.