Denpasar's roads taking a heavy human toll

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Five-year-old Kadek Agus' short life ended on a fateful Friday afternoon on a Sanur bypass.

A motorist slammed into him as he crossed the street. As the critically injured boy lay motionless, his mother ran screaming to help him.

Her efforts were in vain and grieving engulfed his family's simple brick house by the side of the road.

"The accident took place at about 4 p.m. local time on October 13. Kadek Agus is the first 8-10 we recorded in October," Badung traffic police chief Senior Inspector Made Suyasa said, using the police code for a fatality.

Unfortunately, Agus' family was not alone in suffering the loss of a loved one in a traffic accident in October.

In the following days a 47-year-old motorist was killed on Jl. WR Supratman; a 30-year-old pedestrian died on the bypass on Sakenan highway; a 20-year-old university student was killed on Petang highway; a 35-year-old driver lost his life on Mengwi highway; a 60-year-old motorist crashed into a bus and died at Tohpati and a 25-year-old woman fell victim to a hit-and-run accident on Jl. Buana Raya.

By Oct. 17, 2000, at least 15 people were killed and dozens were injured in numerous traffic accidents in various parts of Denpasar municipality and Badung regency.

"The number of accidents and fatalities has reached an alarming level, and we are deeply concerned of the great possibility that the number will keep increasing," Suyasa said.

Statistics bear out his concern.

In 1996 there were 147 accidents with 98 fatalities and 113 people severely injured. In 1997 the number increased to 159 accidents with 106 fatalities and 104 people severely injured. The number rose to 199 accidents, 148 fatalities and 103 people severely injured in 1998.

The larger picture is even more disturbing, with the total number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents in Bali reaching 493 in 1999.

In the period January to June 2000 the number had already reached 254 fatalities.

"If that trend continues, Bali will have some 508 fatalities by the end of this year," Badung traffic accident unit chief Second Inspector Nyoman Suantasa said.

Most of the accidents were caused by violations of traffic regulations. Drivers in Bali have long been notorious for reckless and erratic driving habits, such as their famous zigzagging between lanes, illegally overtaking from the left, running red lights and speeding in the slow lane.

They show little respect for pedestrians. It seems that one of Balinese drivers and motorists' obsessions is to do their best to prevent pedestrians from crossing the road.

From January 1999 to June 2000 Badung traffic police issued at least 17,253 tickets for traffic violations; the total number for the island was a staggering 26,510 tickets.

"Besides traffic violations there is also a problem of traffic safety, which contributed greatly to the number of traffic accident fatalities," Suyasa added.

At least 24 percent of traffic accident fatalities involving motorbikes were not wearing helmets, and the rest wore nonstandard helmets. Most vehicle drivers also continue to consider seatbelts as an aberration.

The Badung traffic police are also dealing with a glut of vehicles on the street. There are currently 407,064 motorized vehicles, 306,752 of them motorbikes, on the streets of Denpasar and Badung.

"The total length of the roads in Denpasar and Badung is only 1,013.62 kilometers. This overpopulation problem is not only causing heavy traffic congestion, but also increasing the probability of traffic accidents," Suyasa said.

With only 205 personnel, 15 patrol cars and 16 patrol motorbikes, the Badung traffic police unit is burdened with the responsibility of managing daily traffic, enforcing traffic regulations, increasing people's awareness and decreasing the number of traffic accidents.

"We would be very happy if the number of traffic accidents decreased 10 percent each year," Suyasa said.

The decrease, no matter how small the percentage, would unquestionably save several families from the suffering of Kadek Agus' loved ones. (zen)