A string of fatal accidents at the Bawen Toll Exit

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Exit Tol Bawen, Kabupaten Semarang, Jawa Tengah, has again come under scrutiny after repeated accidents involving heavy vehicles. A truck that suffered brake failure on a downhill section toward a traffic-light junction is considered a risk factor, especially for trucks and buses. In recent years, at least three major crashes have been recorded at this location. The brake-failure incident occurred when a truck with registration AD 8911 IA was traveling from Bawen toward Salatiga. After exiting the Bawen Toll, the truck’s brakes allegedly malfunctioned. When the brake pedal was pressed, the vehicle did not slow down and continued to ram into several motorists stopped at the red light at the junction. The incident involved nine motorcycles and seven cars. Four people were killed, one seriously injured, and 26 others sustained minor injuries. All victims at the time received assistance from officers. A year later, another crash occurred, this time involving a trailer with registration H 8121 JQ, suspected of braking system issues. The driver could not stop the vehicle and collided with several vehicles ahead, including a Toyota Calya severely damaged at the rear. Fortunately the Calya’s driver was not injured despite the vehicle being badly damaged; the driver survived by wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The latest incident occurred on Tuesday (3 March 2026) at around 18:30 Western Indonesian Time. A multi-vehicle collision involved ten vehicles and left eight people injured. The incident began when a truck was moving from Semarang toward Salatiga. While entering the downhill section toward the Bawen Toll Exit, the vehicle is suspected to have lost control due to brakes not functioning. Downhill Roads as a High-Risk Feature KNKT Senior Investigator Achmad Wildan had previously explained that the slope of the road significantly affects the braking ability of heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. ‘More than 90 percent of brake-failure accidents for buses and trucks occur on downhill roads, influenced by road geometry,’ Wildan said recently. He added that a smooth and wide road can be a Catch-22: improving road conditions may tempt drivers to accelerate, causing them to neglect proper descent procedures. He urged drivers of large vehicles to use low gears before entering descents. With the right procedures, vehicle speed can be better controlled and the risk of accidents reduced. The string of incidents at the Bawen Toll Exit serves as a reminder that the combination of road characteristics and human factors remains a serious challenge in road transport safety, particularly for heavy vehicles.