What was supposed to be just another ride down the MRR2 almost turned fatal for a Malaysian motorcyclist, all because of a stray kite string.
A chilling video recently made its rounds on social media, showing a man who suffered a nasty neck injury after getting caught in a kite string while riding near the Kepong Metropolitan Lake Park. His neck was gashed, his shirt torn, and his backpack damaged.
Photo via Facebook (MP Lim Lip Eng)
He counts himself lucky to be alive, “If not for this cloth I was wearing, I would've been finished,” the rider said in the video. “I could’ve been decapitated.”
The clip also shows how dangerously close kite flyers were operating near the highway, with one kite visibly tangled around a streetlamp right in the middle of the road.
While it may seem like an unfortunate one-off incident, this highlights a serious safety hazard. Kite strings, especially the sharp, reinforced types sometimes used for competitive flying, can act like razor wire at high speeds. For motorcyclists, the risk isn’t just injury. It can be fatal. A taut kite string can slice through skin, damage windpipes, sever arteries, or even cause someone to lose control of their vehicle.
Flying kites near highways does not just endanger riders. It also puts other motorists at risk if someone swerves, crashes, or causes a chain reaction accident.
Photo via Facebook (MP Lim Lip Eng)
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has since stepped in, urging Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to relocate all kite flying zones away from highways and busy roads before someone pays the ultimate price, “This is not a small issue,” he said in a statement. “Flying kites near a high-speed highway like the MRR2 is reckless. The safety of road users cannot be compromised.”
This incident should serve as a serious reminder. Recreational activities like kite flying, when done in unsafe areas, can become deadly hazards. Authorities must enforce stricter zoning laws, and the public must also be aware of how dangerous something as simple as a string can be when lives are on the line.
For now, riders are reminded to stay alert and consider wearing protective neck gear when passing known kite flying spots. It is better to be safe than sorry.
