COMMENT | The jail sentence imposed on 27-year-old clerk Sam Ke Ting has ignited a series of debates and discussions on the safety of children on the road and the responsibility of parents.

She was driving along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam in Johor Bahru at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017, when she crashed into a group of teenagers riding modified bicycles known as basikal lajak. Eight teenagers, aged 13 to 16, died.

But what has been largely ignored is another frightening situation with equally alarming statistics: Two-wheelers with combustion-engine below 150cc or popularly known as kapcai motorcycles have become killer machines and children as young as six have been killed or maimed when at the handles.

Data compiled by the police reveal some astounding figures...