For the first in Malaysia, Kawasaki Motors Malaysia (KMSB) has collaborated with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd and K-TEC Corporation (KTC) to launch the Kawasaki Safety & Responsible Riding (KSRR) course at the Sepang International Kart Circuit.
The program focuses on, you guessed it, raising the awareness on the importance of safe and proper riding techniques in order to save one’s own life as well as the lives of other motorists on the road. Said program is also the first of its kind to be launched outside of Japan. Covering both the theoretical and practical aspects of safe riding, the KSRR course is designed for owners of Kawasaki motorcycles to get a hands-on experience on how to react in the event of emergencies as well as to get familiar with a checklist of sorts prior to riding out.
Designated instructors of the KSRR course have been carefully selected, trained and then certified by K-TEC and Kawasaki Japan. “K-TEC Corporation has about 30 riders who conduct motorcycle driving tests. They are engaged daily in working to ensure that the high level of standards required for Kawasaki motorcycles are reached and maintained,” commented Hiroyuki Saito, KTC president.
“Early this year, we sent some distinguished riders to Malaysia who had been selected because of their skill, experience and reliability,” he added. The introduction of the program comes as part of a common initiative between KMSB and several other government as well as non-government bodies including JPJ, JKJR and PDRM to reduce the overall number of road accidents and fatalities in the country.
From the year 2007 to 2016, the total number of road fatalities were quoted at 73,954. From that total, roughly 63% (40,609) of the fatalities involved motorcyclists. To further highlight the need for safe and proper riding techniques, about 80% of accidents are caused by human error instead of mechanical issues.
Malaysians aren’t exactly alone in the aspect too. Neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines all report worrying amounts of road accidents involving motorcyclists over the years. Vietnam, in particular, recorded a rise in motorcycle road accidents with the figure jumping from 39% in 2007 to 51% in 2016.
At home, the low awareness on safety and blatant flaunting of road rules (speeding, mobile phone usage, etc.) are among the factors that contribute to the rising number of accidents. As such, KMSB is determined to work hand in hand with the authorities and relevant bodies to help reduce the number of road accidents in the future.