JOHOR BARU: Police will be working together with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) to promote road safety awareness ahead of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays.

       Johor Traffic chief Supt M. Kumarasan said the programme was in line with Socso’s Vision Zero Malaysia campaign that aims to reduce the number of road accidents in the country.

       "The programme is more about spreading the importance of driving and handling vehicles in a safe condition, especially for motorcyclists, as they are among the highest number of casualties recorded.

       "We will also be distributing 100 helmets and safety jackets to motorcyclists in Johor Baru and the nearby district from today (April 23) until Monday (April 25)," he said after the programme at Perling Toll here.

       He added that the programme would be continued at the state-level safety awareness campaign that would be launched on April 26 by Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

       "One of the reasons why we chose Perling Toll is the high number of motorcyclists, especially during peak hours as people are going home from work.

       "Some of them are working in Singapore, so we hope that they will prioritise their safety, especially when going through long hours of riding a motorcycle," he added.

       Supt Kumarasan also said the programme would be continued in other districts throughout the Hari Raya holidays.