One death every 36 hours in Malaysia from lorry crashes, with speeding and poor maintenance key causes, study shows

One death every 36 hours in Malaysia from lorry crashes, with speeding and poor maintenance key causes, study shows



A new study has revealed that fatal road accidents involving heavy vehicles like lorries and trailers have claimed at least 1,457 lives over the past six years, with highways emerging as the deadliest routes. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Sunday, 18 May 2025 10:38 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — A new study has revealed that fatal road accidents involving heavy vehicles like lorries and trailers have claimed at least 1,457 lives over the past six years, with highways emerging as the deadliest routes.

At least one life is lost every 36 hours due to fatal accidents involving lorries or trailers.

Harian Metro (HM) reported that the study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) found that lorry accidents on highways are more likely to result in fatalities compared to other roads such as Federal roads, state roads, and municipal roads.

Factors such as high speed and overloaded lorries contribute to a higher risk of fatality, especially when accidents occur on bends.


Road safety activist Datuk Mohamad Hisham Shafe said the 1,457 deaths were linked to 3,500 lorry accidents nationwide over the six-year period.


The average frequency was one lorry accident every 2,164 minutes — or roughly every one day and 12 hours.

He noted that accidents involving heavy vehicles carry a higher fatality risk due to their size and collision impact. He also highlighted 473 serious injuries and 1,076 minor injuries linked to such crashes.


“Lorries are heavy vehicles that cause significant impact during collisions, especially when travelling at high speeds on highways,” he told HM yesterday.

Hisham said long working hours often lead to driver fatigue, while excessive workloads and unbalanced cargo contribute to vehicle instability. He added that many lorries do not undergo proper maintenance, affecting their long-distance performance.

“Mechanical failure in lorries is one of the main causes of road accidents, and it’s not a new issue — in fact, it has often been raised by the authorities.

“Miros studies have also revealed that only 32 per cent of public transport and commercial vehicle operators complied with the Industrial Code of Practice for Transport Safety (ICOP) in 2022,” he was quoted as saying.

Hisham said these figures reflect a lack of seriousness in commercial vehicle safety, with some operators continuing to skip maintenance checks and use retreaded tyres.