Law on motorcycle licence to change

NST: The proposed increase in the minimum age of motorcycle licence applicants from 16 to 17 years will be a reality soon.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said an amendment to the Road Transport Act 1987 to this effect would be tabled at the next Parliament session.
He said the move was part of efforts to reduce the number of casualties among motorcyclists in road accidents.
"Motorcyclists are more at risk than other road users and therefore need to be more mature," Chan, who is also MCA deputy president, said after opening SRJK(C) Taman Tas here today.
Motorcyclists make up over half the total motorist population and contribute more than 70 per cent of fatal casualties in traffic crashes.
Chan said the Road Transport Department (RTD) had recently been instructed to strictly enforce the law which compels motorcyclists to wear approved helmets.
He said the ministry’s study on causes of motorcycle fatalities indicated that almost 80 per cent were due to severe head injuries.
"We don’t want to see any more modified and fancy helmets. Wearing a helmet is not meant to make motorcyclists look great but to make safer for them."
Chan also advised parents to prohibit their underage children from riding motorcycles.
"I can’t comprehend why some parents allow their children to ride a motorcycle or drive a car without a licence.
"They are not only careless with their children’s lives but also the lives of others."