Motorcycle Race Crashes

Motorcycle race crashes can occur in professional and street situations alike. In any
motorcycling situation the risk of accidents increases as speed, alcohol involvement, and
bike speed increase. This makes motorcycle race crashes a greater threat. Motorcycle race
crashes can occur on the streets when motorcyclists decide to travel at fast speeds to
challenge another cyclist or driver. Motorcycle race crashes can also occur in a
professional motorcycle race, posing the threat of injury to the motorcyclist, mechanics,
spectators, and track workers.

Motorcycle race crashes are particularly dangerous because they often occur at high
speeds. With increased speed, a motorcyclist has less control over his/her cycle and the
conditions under which they are driving. Statistics indicate that over ninety percent of all
motorcycle crashes involve an untrained or under-trained rider. This can be especially
true in amateur motorcycle race crashes.

Over 67,000 people were injured and another 3,661 people lost their lives in motorcycle
crashes in 2003 alone. Of these motorcycle accidents, approximately three quarters
involved other passenger vehicles. More than sixty percent of these cases were the result
of passenger car driver negligence, often failure to yield the right of way to a
motorcyclist. In some cases, motorcycle accidents are the result of defective motorcycle
parts or hazardous road conditions. With regards to motorcycle race crashes, many are
the result of motorcycle negligence.

Illegal street racing can lead to motorcycle race crashes that can cause serious injury to
racers, other drivers and passengers, and anyone else who is the unfortunate victim of
motorcycle race crashes. Eighty percent of motorcycle race crashes result in injury or
death. There are several motorcycle race crashes risk factors which are increased with
increases in speed, alcohol involvement, cycle size, and lack of protective equipment.

The faster a motorcycle is traveling, the more dangerous motorcycle race crashes can be
to those involved. The most serious and life threatening injuries that are sustained in
motorcycle race crashes are traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries that can lead
to disability, paralysis, coma, and death. The faster a motorcycle is traveling, the greater
the impact will be during motorcycle race crashes. This makes catastrophic and fatal
injuries more likely in motorcycle race crashes compared to other crashes.

Motorcycle race crashes can occur even among professional racers. Almost one hundred
people have died in Indianapolis motorcycle race crashes since they first began. Cyclists,
spectators, and workers have all been the victims of these motorcycle race crashes. This
goes to show that even among the best trained and experienced riders, motorcycle race
crashes are still a major risk.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a motorcycle race crash, you may wish to
contact a qualified and experienced attorney who can advise you of your rights and
options in a case to receive compensation for your losses.

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 So sick of Mat Rempit! Francis Paul | Dec 15, 06 4:49pm

WHEN I was 18, my father bought me a 100cc Suzuki

scrambler. I remember how proud I was when I first
received the machine which was red in colour. It was my
first motor-bike. Now I can junk my old bicycle and proudly
ride my motorcycle to school.

But my love affair with my brand new motorcycle only

lasted eight months. A self-accident, five months later, saw
me crashing the machine into the front gate of my house
early one morning as I was rushing for school. I was badly shaken up and sustained
bruises on my arms and legs. I also had to miss school for two days.

The accident, however, taught me a few things. The motor-bike is a dangerous machine
and the rider is very exposed to harm and injury in an accident. Although the Suzuki’s
engine capacity was only 100cc, it could accelerate at quite a high speed. This was one
danger. The other was that the machine was light and could easily swerve out of control,
if not handled with care.

After another accident in my school compound three months later, I gave up on the
motor-bike. Looking back, I can count my lucky stars that the accidents did not occur on
public roads. Otherwise, I would either sustain more serious injuries or be a goner.

Eight months were all the time I spent with my motor-bike. I gave the machine to my
younger brother after that and decided to ask my father to drive me to school instead.

I must concede that I was never good in handling a motorcycle. My sense of balance was
poor.

Zero tolerance

As a teenager, I had already discovered how dangerous the two-wheeler can be. And
today, I cannot help but feel very annoyed, disturbed and angry at those who abuse the
machines on public roads. In so doing, they not only endanger their own lives but other
road users as well.

Now, let me make a very honest declaration: I have ZERO tolerance for Mat Rempit (a
capital ‘zero’) That’s how I feel whenever the subject of these illegal motorcycle racers
(colloquially known as Mat Rempit) is brought up.

If they were lined up to face the firing squad, I don’t mind to volunteer to pull the trigger.
To me, these people are a criminal of sort. They are parasites. Their idea of fun is having
pleasure on public roads and they have no qualms if others are killed as a result of their
having fun.
 Perhaps I should relate a few incidents that I personally witnessed so
as to let you all know why I think so lowly and am just pissed off by
these people.

One incident I remember well happened about three years ago. I was
enjoying a late night supper of bak kut teh with a visiting friend from Kuching at Jalan
Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur. My friend’s wife was also with us. I think it was around
11pm.

Suddenly, vroom...vrooom...vroooooommmmm, some 20 of those hell raisers roared by

on their machines with modified exhausts screaming down the road. The loud roars of the
machines startled everyone. For a moment, I noticed that the faces of my friend and his
wife had turned pale. My heart was also racing, perhaps skipping a beat or two, as a result
of the intolerable noise and fright..

The noise as the Mat Rempit roared by was deafening. The three-lane Jalan Raja Laut
that night was still busy and pedestrians could be seen crossing the street at that hour.

When the first group of Mat Rempit roared by, everything was fine - as far as I could see
from where I was sitting, just outside the restaurant.

The second group then roared by, some carrying other guys or girlfriends as pillions. My
guests and myself soon lost our appetite and were just about to leave when suddenly, one
of the racers (possibly from a third group) lost control of his machine and was coming
our way. All of us scrambled to safety in the nick of time as the machine slammed into
some tables and chairs near us. It came to a halt some 10 meters away near the entrance
to a bank.

No sympathy

The fellow who was lucky to escape with only bruises had earlier collided with another
Mat Rempit. The other guy was not so fortunate. He landed on the road a distance away
from us. Later, we could see his life-less body being carried into a passing car. God
knows what happened to him!

Well, call me a cold, heartless person if you will but I have no sympathy whatsoever for
the two guys. They deserved what they got.

I dare not imagine what would happen if the machine were to plough into a group of
children having their meals outside the restaurant then. You tell me.

Then, there was another occasion several months ago when I was driving along Jalan
Kuching (also in KL) just after the old toll plaza. It was around midnight. I believe there
were four groups of these hell raisers who zoomed past me at breakneck speed. I was
cruising along the middle lane of the highway, feeling tired as well as upset by the antics
of the Mat Rempit
 My sixth sense seemed to tell me that something was about to
happen that night and it did. Suddenly, one of them swerved too
close to my vehicle and clipped the side-view mirror. The fella’s
guardian angel must be with him that night. Luckily, he did not fall
from his bike, otherwise he would have been rammed over by his
own kind who were speeding behind.

As if I was in the wrong, the lousy fella gave me his middle finger before
speeding off to catch up with his mates. The only damage to my car was a
broken mirror but I dare not think of what would happen to the Mat Rempit had I not kept
my rage under control. Had I deliberately swerved towards him, he would probably have
wished that he hadn’t been born.

Another incident which I can recall vividly happened 10 years ago in Kuching. I
remember the year because it was during the 1996 state elections.

That day, I was driving home along Jalan Tun Haji Openg just before midnight. There
was a motorcyclist in front of me, riding his machine at a reasonable speed. As we neared
the Jalan Badruddin/Golflinks/Haji Openg roundabout (now a traffic light junction), four
or five of those illegal racers suddenly zoomed past me. Within a split second, I saw the
motorcyclist in front of me crashed his machine on the concrete kerb. I knew he was
trying to give way and avoid the hell racers but he rode too close to the roadside. He fell
and I could see that he was injured. The Mat Rempit happily sped off, as if nothing had
happened.

They don’t care

I could not stop there and then to get down and help the guy as there were traffic behind
me. And I had to make the turn at the roundabout to get back to the injured man on the
road. Surprisingly, other motorists who passed by did not stop to help the poor fellow.

Luckily, the man was not badly injured even though his machine was a total wreck. I sent
him to the hospital which was nearby. I later learnt that he was a soldier and he was
returning to the Mile 8 Army Penrissen Camp that night. When he was unable to contact
any family or friends at that ungodly hour, I decided to stay with him. He was treated for
his bruises and gashes on his arms and legs. Upon further checks and observation, the
doctor finally agreed to discharge him. After accompanying the young man to lodge a
police report on the accident, I sent him back to his Penrissen Camp. By the time I
reached home myself, it was almost morning.

Of course, those Mat Rempit couldn’t care two hoots how others suffered as a result of
them enjoying themselves and getting the kick out of racing.

I think the sooner the government introduce harsher penalties for illegal motorcycle
racing, the better.
 Mat Rempit have rightly been categorised under the high-risk group as they are
likely to be involved in road accidents. They are people who ride their
motorcycles without observing traffic rules, endangering not only themselves but
others as well.

This week, Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon expressed concern that the
growing menace of Mat Rempit in the state will affect efforts to promote the
state as a tourism destination if it is not curbed fast.

“Surely the tourists will want to think twice about coming to Penang if we have cases of
Mat Rempit going around on a robbing spree,'' he said.

Early Sunday morning, several groups of Mat Rempit had gone on a robbing spree in
Seberang Prai. They robbed a family of four and another man in separate incidents
between 4am and 5am.

Koh said the police and relevant authorities would have to take swift and stern action to
stop such incidents as they not only caused bodily harm to people and damage to
properties but also tarnished the image of the state and country.

Off the streets, please!

On Monday, outgoing Kedah Chief Police Officer Zuber Mohd Shariff chided certain
quarters for seeking the force's permission to temporarily convert public roads into
circuits for Mat Rempit.

The requests were made to ensure that the youngsters could “let off steam,” he said.

Zuber said he rejected such requests because allowing vehicles to exceed the speed limit
on public roads contravened the Road Transport Act.

Not too long ago, the Sultan of Pahang also expressed his displeasure about the antics of
the illegal racers after he had a close brush with a group when he was behind the wheel.

Now, I think Putera Umno should stop wasting its time in trying to use the soft approach
and attempting to get recognition for Mat Rempit. Things could get worse if such people
think that they have an official recognition of sort. I doubt the 50,000 illegal racers in the
country are able to act responsibly - until perhaps they get severely injured in accidents.

I agree wholeheartedly with Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam who said recently
that if they (Mat Rempit) can’t even be bothered to pay fines for breaking traffic rules,
then it is better to send them to jail.

"They can repent while doing their time, and this will also act as a deterrence to others
who want to show off their skills and participate in illegal races. They are endangering
their lives and those of other road users," the rather irked chief minister said.

You can say that again, Datuk Seri. I am also sick, sick, very sick of them. Please get
those ‘parasites’ off our streets.

And I am pretty sure that among the 50,000 Mat Rempit, there are a few hundreds who
are just as poor in balancing themselves on a two-wheeler as me. But then again, even as
a teenager, I didn't have to let off steam by racing on the street.

My advice to those Mat Rempit who want to let off steam is: Bang your head hard on the
wall - without the helmet.

FRANCIS PAUL declares Mat Rempit public enemy No 1 on Malaysian roads. He can
be reached at francis@malaysiakini.com.

Mat Rempit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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One of Mat Rempit's favourite 'Aerodynamic Pose' a.k.a. 'Superman' seen on the streets
of Malaysia.

A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for 'an individual who participates in illegal street
racing', usually involving underbone motorcycles (colloquially known as Kapcai) or
scooters. Not all Mat Rempits are involved in street racing; some of them perform crazy
stunts for fun, such as the wheelie, superman (lying flat on the seat), wikang, and
scorpion (standing on the seat with one leg during a wheelie).

Mat Rempits usually travel in groups and race in bustling city centres on weekend nights.
In recent times, Mat Rempits have been linked to gangsterism, gang robbery[1][2], street
fighting, assault[3], vandalism, theft and bullying. Most motorcycles used by the Mat
Rempits do not meet standard specifications, or have been modified extensively for
greater speed, or just to make the exhaust noisier.

Additionally, some Mat Rempits do not have valid motorcycle licenses, do not pay road
taxes, and ride stolen motorcycles[4][5]. A growing number of housing estates have also
been turned into racing tracks[6]. It is estimated that there are about 200,000 Mat Rempits
in Malaysia[7].

In some other countries, the term Mat Rempit is also used, but more to refer to one as a
motorcycle lover or rider (Mat Motor), as opposed to an illegal motorcycle racer.
Sometime the terms of Mat Rempit misused to refer any individual who rides an
underbone motorcycle. Related to this is the Mat Konvoi, which claim to be the non-
racing version of Mat Rempit.

November 21, 2006

(122 votes)
 Loading ...

Mat Rempit : What Malaysian should know

attitude, government politicians, illegal racing, illegal street, kamikaze, mat rempit, peer
influence, street racers, win the race, youth group

*This is a submitted post by Bat:

Illegal street racers, or in the well known names, Mat Rempit, is a serious issue that
knock our country right now. Known for their kamikaze skills on the road, causing chaos
in society, their unmannered attitude and the current is murdering people. Statistics shows
that this group causes too many crime and problems. With their enormous amount, they
felt like the road is belongs to them and nobody have any rights to punish them. This is
why almost everyday we heard and see their actions and news on the media. Their
popularity is equal to Mawi and Datuk Siti Nurhaliza until then, the film maker had
decided to make film about them. So, as a Malaysian, what is our role in solving this
issue? Do we need to blame themselves for all this or it is us who let this things happen?
Let us see why this Mat Rempit issues happens and how we should solve it together.

As we can see, almost all of Mat Rempit is in the youth group. We should realize that in
this stage, their thinking, attitude and action were influenced by their peers. They used to
follow their friends rather than their own parents and teachers advice. This peer influence
is very strong and sometimes dangerous if they follow the wrong path for example the
illegal racing. This is why the amount of Mat Rempit is increasing from time to time.

Furthermore, the desire to try something new and challenging is one of the factors that
lured them into the illegal racing. They felt that it is very admirable and outstanding if
they can win the race or do suicide skills such as riding in the high speed or get away
from the police road blocks. They love to break the laws since they think that it is just an
amusement for them.

So, how we want to solve this problem? How we want to settle down this issue that has
been caused many problems to us? The government, politicians and police have done
many things to settle this, but it seems like there are no stopping point for the Mat
Rempit. We should give a compliment to Pemuda UMNO for their effort to convert this
Mat Rempit to “Mat Cemerlang” by giving them an opportunity to change and UMNO
membership. Although this step is like a politics campaign, we should bear in mind that
maybe one day they will realize that there are people who concern about them and hoping
they will change.

Next, schools play an important role in order to solve this problem. I’m not saying
parents since I know that some parents didn’t know their son’s attitude very much
compared to the teachers and their friends. This is because in school, they used to be with
their friends and we can determine their attitude very well by observing with whom they
are making friends. Schools should collaborate with the police to identify which students
involved in illegal racing and punish them by sending them to the counselor or in the
serious case, dismiss them from school. This is very important in order to prevent this
student to influence the other students to join him. Although this approach is too drastic
and cruel, we should consider that the youth is tending to be influenced by their friends.

Furthermore, in my opinion, the National Service Training Program or PLKN should

include a module that thought the trainee to avoid and aware the illegal racing. They
should be exposed to the danger of illegal race, the punishment that will wait them if
involved and how to enjoy their life in the best ways. By implementing this approach, at
least, the trainee can think wisely and preventing them to become one of the Mat Rempit
candidates.

As a conclusion, what I can say is, action speaks louder than words. It is useless if we just
babbling around and blaming them for all this problems although some of them caused
some serious case. We should cooperate with government, politicians and NGOs to track
back how this thing happen and find a solution to solve it. The Mat Rempit should be
thankful for the government and society for not treating them like the snatch thief and the
homosexual group although they have cause many problems. The government and
society still can accept them as long as they want to change. We can see many campaign
and approach for them right now. After all, this group is our country’s apprentice that
will lead us in the future. If they are still like now and we are just blaming them, the one
who are needed to blame is just our self.