Swedish manufacturer, Volvo Trucks, has partnered with the Innovation Agency of Malaysia to find innovation solutions to make Malaysian roads safer for both motorcycles and trucks, a Malaysian press reported.
According to Bernama, Volvo Trucks Malaysia managing director, Mansoor Ahmed said in a statement that the initiative named Innovative Solutions to Reduce Crashes between Trucks and Motorcycles (iSTREC) would be divided into two stages and implemented throughout the year.
“The first phase of the initiative will be carried out over the next six months which involves research to develop innovative solutions, while the second stage will be the implementation together with a nationwide awareness programme.
“We realised the importance of reducing the number of casualties and the causes, this traditional and modern tools will be used to reach a wide number of truck drivers and motorcyclist,” he said.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s Forensic Department revealed that commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and trailers accounted for the highest percentage of total number of fatal crashes involving motorcyclist.
Together with the Innovation Agency’s involvement, the research is bound to promote and support collaboration between the industry and academic and government bodies to develop and implement solutions to the existing challenge.
The agency’s chief executive officer, Mark Rozario said in addition to the obvious potential of saving lives and livelihoods, the initiative “stands to save the country millions of ringgit in lost time, productivity and other long-term costs related to road accidents.”
Swedish ambassador to Malaysia, Bengt G Carlsson said his country was glad to be part of the project as Sweden had been the leading country to record the lowest number of road fatalities since the implementation of Vision Zero.
Other organisations that are part of the initiative include the Swedish Trade Council, Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Swedish Vehicle and Traffic Safety Center (SAFER)
