Number of road accidents in Malaysia 2013-2022

In 2022, the number of road accidents in Malaysia was around 545,000, indicating an increase compared to the previous year. 2019 was the most dangerous year for drivers on Malaysian roads in the past decade, with the highest number of road accidents. This was despite the General Insurance Association of Malaysia's target of halving the number of road accidents by 2020, in line with one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. 

Sustaining road safety

As part of the U.N.’s sustainable development goal to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, member countries would need to halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020. Malaysia already has a good foundation to achieve its goal with its infrastructure. Moreover, 58 percent of Malaysians surveyed stated that they were satisfied with the road infrastructure.

Reducing fatalities

Despite the high number of road accidents in Malaysia, the number of casualties from such accidents has been decreasing since 2012. This is comparable to neighboring Singapore, which has a significantly smaller population than Malaysia.

Despite the decrease in casualties, more can be done to promote safer roads in Malaysia, especially during the peak travelling seasons such as during Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, where millions of Malaysians traverse the highways from the cities back to their hometowns.