'My sister was saved by her seat belt'

After 12 years of delay, the city police began to implement the compulsory wearing of seat belts on Wednesday. Those who fail to do so will be ticketed and face a maximum fine of Rp 1 million (US$115.6) or one month in jail. The Jakarta Post talked to some people about their response to the issue.

Lestari Nurhayati, 33, is a writer with Tamasya, a travel magazine. She lives in Sawangan, Depok, with her sister:

Wearing your seat belt is essential for your own safety. My sister had an accident when driving on the toll road. Her car was hit from behind by a taxi. She survived because she was wearing her seat belt. I can't imagine what would have happened if she had not been wearing her seat belt at the time. Maybe she would have been thrown through the front windscreen.

I have to admit, though, that I don't practice what I preach. I only remember to wear my seat belt when I'm driving on the toll road because I can really feel how fast the car is going. Besides, there's always a sign when entering the toll road warning us to buckle up.

Regarding the compulsory wearing of seat belts, we can see that many motorists are now starting to use their belts. That's good. We only need to encourage others to get used to it.

Aris Gunawan, 34, works as an auditor at Surveyor Indonesia. He lives in Bekasi with his wife and two children:

I have been wearing my seat belt even before the new enforcement policy was introduced by the police. I guess it's a habit I gained when I worked for an oil company in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan).

There, the workers had to wear their seat belts when driving, otherwise we would be banned from entering the company compound.

I believe that wearing our seat belts can save our lives. I once saw a couple lying dead following a traffic accident on the Jagorawi toll road. They mustn't have been wearing their belts, otherwise they probably would have survived.

-- The Jakarta Post