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