Automatic licence upgrade: A licence to die?
SHAH ALAM – The recent proposal to review an automatic upgrade of the B2 class motorcycle driving license to B may contribute to an increase in road accidents as well as claiming more lives on the road.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) former chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam thye said the government, when considering the proposal, should take road users safety into consideration as not all motorcyclists can handle big bikes.
Lee insisted that riders with full B licence should sit for the exams and be properly trained so they would not be a danger to other road users.
“The riders should be well trained as the way they handle the big motorcycles and small motorcycles is very different.
“Therefore, I’m afraid if it goes automatic upgrade, the accident rate might rise on the road and more lives will be lost,” he told Sinar Daily when contacted.
Lee, who is also the National Unity Advisory Council member added that even the motorcyclists within his social circle agreed that not anyone could ride the big motorcycles safely without proper training.
“I think it's better to keep the safety of the riders in mind, that should be the first thing to concentrate on rather than just upgrade it and say no need to go training and no need to sit for a test which is not advisable.
“There are many (training) schools, and the riders should go to these and must be given additional training such as defence riding to handle the big bike and not just simply ride the big bike (should the proposal be approved),” he urged.
Meanwhile, Advanced Defensive Riding head trainer Badaru Hisham Abu Bakar said the training given at the driving school for B2 was only focused on basic riders and road rules.
“It is not appropriate for us to allow these riders to use a large and powerful cubic centimetres (CC) motorcycle. This can cause an accident due to the rider's lack of skill.
“If we want only one Motorcycle License Class, we need to have a Module with a special Test to assess the trainee's level of competence,” he said.
Badaru, who is also Miros Community Safety Support Programme (CSSP) coach suggested it would be better from B2 to B1 only (Motorcycles below 500cc) to be upgraded automatically.
He said motorcycles below 500cc are not too heavy and the power (HP) of a 500cc 4-stroke engine is approximately 250cc of a 2-stroke engine.
Most motorcycles now, he said, use 4-stroke engines.
“Handling is also not much of a noticeable difference. It is dangerous if a rider rides on the road without the skills (compensation) that has been set according to the level of skill and ability to operate a high-powered motorcycle,” he expressed.
Former Cub Prix racer Wazi Abdul Hamid had also expressed his wish that the relevant parties to examine and evaluate the propriety of upgrading B2 licence holders as B2 licence riders needed to have five years of motorcycle riding experience and undergo an assessment test before being eligible for an upgrade to class B.
The veteran rider who was also a professional motorcycle instructor agreed that reckless approval could pose a risk of danger to riders and other road users.
A study by Miros revealed that from January to September 2022, motorcycle users recorded the highest number of accidents with 2,916 deaths or 66.6 per cent followed by cars (776), pedestrians (233), lorries (139), vans (95), four-wheel drives (94), bicycles (79), other vehicles (29) and buses (17).
Out of the number, 45 per cent of motorcyclist deaths involved victims between the ages of 16 and 29.
The latest data also showed that the number of road users suffering serious injuries rose sharply with 3,406 cases or 92.5 per cent higher than in the same period in 2021.
Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the proposal of automatically upgrading the B2 class motorcycle driving licence to B would be brought to the Transport Ministry to be examined first.
He reportedly said he did not see any problem implementing the proposal as motorcyclists with a B2 licence already have experience riding the machine.
Prior to that, the proposal paper for an automatic upgrade from class B2 to B for motorcyclists who have not committed serious traffic offences within three years after obtaining the B2 licence was submitted by Superbikers Association Malaysia (S.A.M) president Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman.
The Road Transport Department (RTD) classified B2 class for motorcycles below 250 cc and B for unlimited capacity with no condition or restriction for a rider to obtain a B licence from the start despite not having any riding experience.
