Malaysia Mulls Introducing Motorcycle Safety Assessment Programme

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) is urging motorcycle manufacturers in Malaysia to participate in the Malaysia Motorcycle Assessment Programme (MyMAP) to raise motorcycle safety. The idea is to reduce the percentage of motorcycle accidents in Malaysia by introducing a star rating system for motorcycles, depending on the assessment of the safety aspects and in accordance with the criteria set. MyMAP is a programme organised by Miros in collaboration with the Malaysian Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii). MyMAP is a motorcycle safety star rating, similar to the ASEAN New Car Assessment (ASEAN NCAP).

(Currently, only premium motorcycles are required to have ABS in Malaysia)

MyMAP intends to assess motorcycles available for sale in Malaysia on metrics such as suitability of design, compliance with the rules of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), comformity of production (COP), safety feature technology and support programmes. More importantly, it will also include inclusion of safety equipment and features such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and traction control.

(ABS is not mandatory for small capacity motorcycles in Malaysia )

Currently, ABS for motorcycles is not compulsory for motorcycles in Malaysia, and is only found in larger displacement models. As of now, there is no requirement in Malaysia for motorcycles to be equipped with either ABS or traction control on a compulsory basis, especially for the sub-250 cc category which makes up the majority of two-wheelers on Malaysian roads. The Malaysian two-wheeler market is one of the largest worldwide, and ranks in the top five in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. In 2019, nearly 5,50,000 two-wheelers were sold in Malaysia, and in 2020 as well, overall volumes were just below the 5,00,000 unit mark.

In comparison, in India, the world's largest two-wheeler market, current safety regulations include auto-headlight on (AHO), as well as compulsory ABS for 125 cc and above models, and combined braking system (CBS), where both brakes are applied simultaneously for both wheels, is mandatory for models below 125 cc.