Easy riders oblivious to dangers on the road<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
If you take time out to question Jakarta motorcyclists about
\ntheir driving skills, there's a fair chance you might decide
\nnever to set foot on the road again!<\/p>\n
Just ask them how many traffic accidents they have per year.<\/p>\n
\"Lots. I've an accident at least once or twice a year. But it
\ndoesn't worry me at all,\" said Sammy, 26, a resident of Pamulang
\nin Tangerang who was visiting the Jakarta Motorcycle and Motor
\nShow 2002 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) recently.<\/p>\n
Sammy remarked that he preferred driving a motorcycle to a car
\ndue to the greater freedom afforded him by a motorcycle.<\/p>\n
\"I can stop wherever I want or park up at a coffee stall to
\ntake rest. It's not so easy if I'm driving a car,\" Sammy said.<\/p>\n
He added that he often wears his helmet incorrectly to enable
\nhim to smoke while riding his bike.<\/p>\n
Cipto, 30, who works as a motorcycle delivery boy, revealed
\nthat he also has an accident at least once a year.<\/p>\n
\"I normally have accidents in the afternoon when I am
\nexhausted after driving all day long,\" Cipto said.<\/p>\n
Because of his job, Cipto has to ride his motorcycle for more
\nthan 10 hours a day.<\/p>\n
Cipto, however, claimed that safety was not his prime concern.<\/p>\n
He admitted that he often carried big packages on his
\nmotorcycle, oblivious to the danger of being hit in the capital's
\ncrowded streets.<\/p>\n
He also revealed that he often took his wife and two-year-old
\nson on his bike without their wearing protective clothing.<\/p>\n
\"It depends on the destination. We don't use the helmets if
\nthe destination is near. Otherwise, we'll use the helmets, but
\nnot my son as we don't have a small helmet for him,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Road users ignorance of safety coupled with their tendency to
\nbreak traffic regulations are the main causes of traffic
\naccidents in the city.<\/p>\n
Every month, the police officially record more than 10
\naccidents on the city's streets, mostly involving motorcyclists.
\nThe real number of accidents is, of course, much greater as many
\nare not reported.<\/p>\n
Despite the obvious dangers, motorcycles are still the
\npreferred transportation alternative on Jakarta's notoriously
\nclogged highways and byways.<\/p>\n
It is common here to see motorcyclists driving the wrong way
\ndown one-way streets, driving up on the sidewalks and ignoring
\ntraffic signs in order to get to their destinations more quickly.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Rudy Parman, 35, revealed that his children often
\nwant to sit in front of him while he rides his motorcycle so as
\nto enjoy the view better.<\/p>\n
\"They often fight to get sitting up front. I never tell them
\nthat it's dangerous,\" Rudy said.<\/p>\n
By sitting at the front, the children are even more exposed
\nto danger than ever.<\/p>\n
The latest fatal motorcycle accident occurred two months ago.
\nMuhammad Aditya, a two-year-old child was run over by a bus after
\nfalling off a motorcycle driven by his brother-in-law Herman, 17.
\nMuhammad fell after the bike was sideswiped by the bus.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/easy-riders-oblivious-to-dangers-on-the-road-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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