Hit and run accidents like this is getting more common on our roads
We just witnessed a hit and run accident and the rider just rode away weaving in and out of traffic after hitting the side view mirror of a car.
Now, we were lucky this did not happen to us as the rising cost of vehicle spare parts and also paint touch up is making accidents like this very expensive and even worse you do not want to to go through the long tedious process of a police report for a small but expensive incident like this.
Even worse will be the fact that the rider (almost 9.5 million on our roads today have no insurance, no road tax and or no license also) will probably be an illegal person or without a valid riding license or the bike is on stolen number plates.
We have heard incidents where car owners have gone to the police station to make a report and after hours of waiting (plus the trip to the station and finding a decent parking spot) to only find out that the bike number plates are false and or the rider has no road tax.
Now, if you happen to get a hit and run rider who is legal and has a legal road worthy motorcycle, then the police will try and make it look like the car driver was at fault.
Probably no turn signal used when attempting to overtake on the right, or driving without noticing the rider on their right side and even more frustrating, taking the side of a rider because they happen to say they were just riding perfectly in between the cars and the driver ‘coasted’ out of their lane.
Fact, we (a simple scooter) ride a small bike on occasion in traffic and we do not weave in and out of traffic and we never ride in between cars when all vehicles are in motion. We ride on the left side of the road until only necessary we move to the right side to make a right turn or ‘U’ turn.
Even with a dash cam on board a car driver cannot get proper evidence of the mishap with the rider as the camera cannot capture the left and right side of the vehicle. Only the front and some others, front and back.
Meanwhile, side view mirrors on new cars get more and more expensive (some after market mirrors even get stolen) because of sensors and even camera’s located on them for ‘blind-spot’ monitoring and ‘Lanewatch’ monitoring. We have seen side view mirrors costing as high as RM2,500.00 to a pocket hurting RM350.00 for a local assembled car.
For older cars like my Mazda roadster, the rising costs of modern classic car parts makes us worry every-time we see dispatch, courier and delivery riders weaving in and out of traffic in between moving cars.
So what is the solution? We wait for your comments and suggestions and hope that this issue will reduce in time.
