Drivers lack safety awareness<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lack of safety awareness is the main cause of
\nroad accidents, a study has found.<\/p>\n
Speeding caused most accidents on toll roads, particularly the
\nJakarta-Cikampek turnpike, Ministry of Public Works researchers
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
On non-toll roads, lack of discipline was the largest cause of
\naccidents which mostly killed motorcyclists and pedestrians,
\nmembers of the Ministry's Institute of Road Engineering said.<\/p>\n
\"This is typical of city and inter-city roads elsewhere in
\nAsia,\" Hikmat Iskandar, one of the researchers, said during a
\nbreak at a five-day road safety workshop which ends Friday.<\/p>\n
Police records show Indonesia has had at least 10,000 road
\ndeaths annually, and many more injuries, over the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
Hikmat said most accidents on the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road
\ninvolved single vehicles, particularly small trucks.<\/p>\n
\"They speed above the limit of 100 kilometers per hour,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Another researcher, Poernomosidhi Poerwo, said road users were
\nyet to learn about what activities were allowed on different
\ntypes of road.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, it is dangerous to load and unload construction
\nmaterial on the side of an artery road,\" Poernomosidhi said.<\/p>\n
The Institute and the Swedish International Development Agency
\nis organizing the workshop.<\/p>\n
Sweden's ambassador Mikael Lindstrom said the workshop aimed
\nto share Sweden's road safety experience. Sweden has one of the
\nworld's best road accident records based on a ratio comparing the
\nnumber of accidents to the number of vehicles a country has.<\/p>\n
A representative from Swedish National Road Consulting AB,
\nKarl-Lennart Bang, said educating road users and builders to have
\na sense of responsibility about the safety of fellow road users
\nwas a long process.<\/p>\n
\"Police enforcement is very important,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The researchers said although wearing helmets was mandatory,
\nmost motorcyclists did not wear them properly.<\/p>\n
The quality of helmets was also sub-standard, Poernomosidhi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The researchers said many roads were built not taking safety
\ninto account.<\/p>\n
Poernomosidhi said corruption was a possible reason behind the
\nbuilding of poor quality roads.<\/p>\n
\"But what is definite is that we lack discipline in following
\nstandard procedures,\" Poernomosidhi said.<\/p>\n
For example, road projects were not adequately equipped with
\ntemporary traffic signs warning road users, he said. (anr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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