KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia suffered losses of over RM25 billion due to road accidents last year, equivalent to 1.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said this marked an increase compared to the estimated losses in the previous years.
"Based on statistics of deaths and serious injuries reported by the police, the country estimates losses of nearly RM18 billion, equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the GDP in 2010.
"It increased to over RM25 billion in 2023," he said in a written reply in Parliament.
Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) requested clarification on the amount of losses, and measures to address the issue.
Loke said that the Transport Ministry, in response, developed the Malaysian Road Safety Plan 2022-2030 (PKJRM 2022-2030).
"PKJRM 2022-2030 aims to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030.
"This is in line with the call and goals of United Nations Resolution 74/299," he added.
He also said that MoT and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government are studying the implementation of Transit Oriented Development (TOD)-based development.
The initiative is to reduce dependence on private vehicles to meet individual mobility needs, while promoting the use of public transport services.
He clarified that through this inter-ministerial cooperation, indirectly, it could help reduce the risk of road accidents.