KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Road fatalities amounted to 6,443 over the course of 2023, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said on Wednesday.
Nearly two-thirds of these fatalities involved motorcycles (4,448 deaths), Loke said, adding that data on these fatalities would be released daily to raise awareness, he told reporters in a briefing at the country's parliament.
"During the pandemic, data on deaths was released daily. We want to let the people know that road accidents are as dangerous as the pandemic," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a statement the government will implement several initiatives to reduce the rate of accidents and deaths.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also chairman of the cabinet committee on road safety and traffic congestion, said these include upgrading road safety infrastructure, repairing road surfaces and shoulders, improving signs, road lines, street lights and traffic lights. ■
