PETALING JAYA: According to police, 322 accidents were reported in school zones in 2023, with an average of 67 deaths occurring each year.
World Health Organisation data showed that road crashes were among the top three causes of death among children aged between 10 and 19 in Malaysia in 2021.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Department of Community Health professor Dr Kulanthayan K.C. Mani said such incidents highlight a critical need for enhanced safety measures around schools to reduce road deaths among children.
“Managing traffic speed is key to reducing road deaths and injuries. The speed at which a vehicle travels influences the risk of a crash, the severity of injuries a victim will sustain and the probability of death.”
Kulanthayan said the most promising intervention in addressing road crashes and injuries is by reducing the speed of the vehicle voluntarily or through state regulation by imposing a much lower limit.
The current speed limit in school zones is 40kph, but there is a need to reduce it to 30kph in areas with high child activity. Based on the findings of an international study, if the speed is reduced by 1kph, it could reduce 4% to 5% of deaths.
“Most countries have adopted a 30kph speed limit in school zones with the aim of ensuring children are safe in these zones. In Malaysia, the 30kph is still an advisory speed limit and not a regulated one.”
Kulanthayan said children’s risk of being involved in crashes and injuries depends on the extent of their exposure to traffic.
He said children have many limitations on the road, which warrants them to be accompanied by an adult, as they do not have the capacity to make correct or safe decisions.
“Children’s vision is considerably limited compared with adults.
“While an adult has a 180° field of vision, a child’s vision is restricted to just 60°, making it extremely risky for them to cross the road independently.
“Children often mistakenly think that if they can see a vehicle, the driver can see them too. However, because of their small size, drivers would focus on road signs, other vehicles and traffic lights, and may easily overlook them, putting them at risk of crashes,” he said.
Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia lecturer Muhammad Izwan Mohd Badrillah said the design of school zones plays a significant role in either enhancing safety or posing risks of crashes.
“There are always challenges and risks in implementing safety measures, such as inconsistent design standards, insufficient infrastructure and behaviours such as reckless driving and double parking by motorists.
“Currently, many signages and markings are poorly maintained, obscured by vegetation or not easily visible.”
Muhammad Izwan said having traffic wardens or volunteers consistently present during peak hours in high-risk areas within school zones plays an important role in preventing incidents.
He added that design elements such as footpaths, crosswalks, speed bumps and drop-off zones are crucial for safety in school zones. But if they’re not properly designed or maintained, they can actually cause crashes.
“Footpaths, for example, should ideally be 2.4m wide, but the minimum acceptable width is 0.9m. If footpaths are too narrow or don’t meet height and clearance guidelines, they can create unsafe walking conditions for children.
“Speed bumps are supposed to slow down traffic, but if they’re not placed in the right spots or clearly marked, drivers might not notice them in time, causing sudden braking or swerving.
“Some drivers may even speed up after passing a speed bump, which defeats the purpose of having them.”
Muhammad Izwan said a pilot study by Kuala Lumpur City Hall in 2023, which used chalk, cones, traffic barriers and paint to temporarily modify street designs at a school entrance, successfully reduced speed limits to an average of 15kph and promoted safer driving behaviour.
“The success of that trial could inspire other schools and communities in Malaysia to improve safety in their own school zones,” he said.
