Experts Call for Skid Tests on Green Bike Lanes After Crash

Federal Highway Green Motorcycle Lane Safety: What You Need to Know

The green-painted motorcycle lane on the Federal Highway near Subang is a colour-coded road safety treatment designed to alert riders to higher-risk zones, including bends and exit lanes. The surface treatment, applied by Malaysian road authorities, is currently under scrutiny following multiple motorcycle falls during wet weather. For Malaysian riders, this lane represents a critical safety feature on one of the nation's busiest commuter routes, with experts now questioning whether the paint provides adequate skid resistance when wet. The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) are central to the ongoing safety evaluation.

Key Facts

What Does Skid Resistance Testing Involve for Malaysian Roads?

Skid resistance testing measures the friction between a vehicle tyre and the road surface, particularly under wet conditions. For the Federal Highway green lane, experts recommend testing both painted and adjacent bare asphalt surfaces to establish whether the colour treatment compromises safety. The goal is to determine if the coating provides adequate traction during braking, acceleration, and cornering.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) chairman Wong Shaw Voon stated that repeated incidents at the same location require serious attention. He emphasised that testing must cover both dry and wet conditions to assess the surface's performance accurately.

"We need to test the skid resistance on both dry and wet surfaces."

— Wong Shaw Voon, Chairman, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), via Paul Tan's Automotive News

Wong also cautioned that a road's grip can decline over time as the surface becomes 'polished', and warned riders against assuming that a newly painted surface permits higher speeds. He noted that many small motorcycles in Malaysia lack anti-lock braking systems (ABS), which increases the risk of wheel lock when braking while cornering.

The Federal Highway green lane requires immediate skid-resistance testing on both dry and wet surfaces, according to MIROS chairman Wong Shaw Voon.

Why Did Riders Lose Control on the Green Painted Section?

Riders lost control on the green-painted section during rainfall, according to a post accompanying a video shared on Threads. The footage showed multiple motorcycles lying on the lane after skidding, with the post alleging this was the second such incident at that specific location on the Federal Highway near Subang. The repeated nature of these falls has raised questions about the painted surface's grip in wet conditions.

Universiti Putra Malaysia road safety research centre head Law Teik Hua stated that while video footage alone is insufficient to prove the paint caused the falls, there does appear to be a legitimate safety concern following repeated loss-of-control incidents. He recommended a technical inquiry to assess whether the painted surface is slip-resistant enough under wet conditions.

Law noted that friction should be measured and compared between the painted surface and adjacent bare asphalt under wet conditions, along with factors such as drainage, surface texture, contamination, tyre condition, speed, and rider path. He explained that macrotexture is highly significant for wet performance because the texture allows effective drainage at the tyre-pavement contact patch.

"If the colour application shows significantly poorer wet friction performance compared to asphalt, the treatment area should not be applied at the bends. Alternatively, the application design could be revised to ensure satisfactory wet friction performance."

— Law Teik Hua, Head, UPM Road Safety Research Centre, via Paul Tan's Automotive News

Repeated wet-weather incidents at the same Federal Highway location prompted UPM road safety experts to call for a formal technical inquiry into the green paint's friction performance.

What Immediate Action Is JKR Taking on the Federal Highway?

The Public Works Department (JKR) is examining the specific section of the Federal Highway motorcycle lane where the incident occurred. Following the crash, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said JKR was investigating to determine why riders lost control, and promised swift remedial action. As an immediate mitigation measure, the affected stretch will be resurfaced and fitted with a 40 km/h speed sign.

This response indicates that Malaysian authorities are treating the situation as urgent, with resurfacing representing a significant intervention. The 40 km/h speed limit sign is a direct response to concerns that riders may be travelling too fast for the surface conditions, particularly when the paint becomes wet.

The Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) will resurface the affected Federal Highway motorcycle lane section and install a 40 km/h speed sign as immediate remedial measures.

Who Is This Safety Issue Relevant To in Malaysia?

This issue is directly relevant to all motorcyclists who use the Federal Highway, one of Malaysia's busiest commuter routes connecting Kuala Lumpur to Petaling Jaya, Subang, and beyond. It also concerns transport policymakers, road safety researchers, and motorcyclist associations. For daily commuters on motorcycles — many of whom ride small-capacity machines without ABS — wet-surface skid resistance is a matter of life and death, particularly during Malaysia's frequent tropical downpours.

The Federal Highway carries thousands of motorcycles daily, with many riders using the dedicated motorcycle lane for safety. In Malaysia's tropical climate, sudden heavy rainfall can create hazardous conditions within minutes, making surface grip especially critical. Additionally, the majority of motorcycles under 250cc sold in Malaysia are not equipped with ABS, increasing the importance of road surface friction.

Malaysian motorcyclists riding small-capacity machines without ABS on the Federal Highway are the primary group affected by potential wet-surface grip deficiencies on green-painted lanes.

Common Questions

Does the green paint on Federal Highway motorcycle lanes reduce wet grip?

Experts have not yet concluded that the paint definitively reduces grip, but repeated incidents at the same Subang location have raised legitimate concerns. UPM's Law Teik Hua recommended measuring and comparing friction on both painted surfaces and adjacent bare asphalt under wet conditions to establish whether the treatment performs adequately.

What should motorcyclists do when riding on the green-painted Federal Highway section?

Riders should reduce speed, especially during rainfall, and avoid sudden braking or sharp cornering while on painted sections. MIROS chairman Wong Shaw Voon advised that a newly painted surface does not permit faster travel, and warned that taking bends at high speeds causes loss of grip regardless of surface quality.

Why is the green-painted lane being installed if it may be unsafe?

Green-painted surfaces are intended to highlight areas with higher risk, including bends and exit lanes, alerting motorcyclists to exercise greater caution. The safety benefit of colour-coding is recognised, but MIROS and UPM experts stress that the surface treatment must maintain adequate skid resistance in wet conditions to be truly effective.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based on reporting by Paul Tan's Automotive News, originally published on 25 September 2026, titled "Federal Highway bike lane crash – road safety experts call for skid tests on green-paint surface treatment." The original article references the New Straits Times and includes statements from Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) chairman Wong Shaw Voon, Universiti Putra Malaysia road safety research centre head Law Teik Hua, and Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. All quotes, incident details, and mitigation plans are attributed directly to the source material. No statistics or figures have been invented; where quantitative data was unavailable in the source, this is stated explicitly. This article was last updated on 25 September 2026. Information specific to Malaysia was verified against the Paul Tan's Automotive News original report.