PETALING JAYA: A study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) found motorcycle delivery riders to be a menace on Malaysian roads because a majority of them flout traffic rules and risk the lives of road users.

       A report in The Sun said Miros found that 70% of riders disobeyed traffic rules when they were doing a delivery run.

       Miros chairman Datuk Suret Singh was quoted as saying that stopping in the yellow box accounted for 57% of all violations, followed by beating the red light (16%), using the handphone while riding (15%), riding against traffic (7%), and making illegal U-turns (5%).

       "Such actions can cause them to lose control of their motorcycles and lead to road accidents. At high speed, it could be fatal," he said.

       At the same time, Suret said Miros is currently in talks with food delivery platforms Grab and FoodPanda to address the issue.

       Suret said it is crucial to inculcate a culture of road safety among delivery riders, adding that interventions by the government may be necessary to address the issue.

       "We need road safety training customised for them. Their riding skills must be enhanced and their awareness of road safety must be raised," he said.

       Suret also said the Transport Ministry, in collaboration with Miros and the Road Transport Department, launched a road safety campaign for food and parcel delivery riders in April.

       On Thursday (July 1), it was reported that a food delivery rider was killed on the spot after he was hit and dragged by a runaway lorry in Penampang, Sabah.

       Accidents involving food delivery riders are a common occurrence ever since the movement control order (MCO) was put in place last year.

       Previous reports have quoted Miros as saying that there were 91 accidents related to p-hailing riders last year.