Police to be soft on seat belt rule

Police to be soft on seat belt rule

By Reiner Simanjuntak

JAKARTA (JP): A regulation mandating the use of seat belts by
drivers and front-seat passengers takes effect on Sept. 17. The
ruling has been criticized, especially as its implementation
comes amid the more than a year-old economic crisis which has
sharply cut purchasing power.

Despite the public outcry, the authorities argue they have the
safety of motorists in mind. Earlier this week The Jakarta Post
interviewed Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang, 45, head of the
information office of the Jakarta Police, who explained the
approach to implementing the rule and its benefits to the public.

The following are excerpts:

Question: Please explain the new seat belt ruling.

Aritonang: The new seat belt regulation is contained in the
Traffic Law No. 14, 1992, in which Article 23 stipulates that
motorists are required to wear seat belts, or they could face a
maximum fine of Rp 1 million (US$10) or a one-month jail term.

People sitting next to the driver are also required to use a
seat belt, but other passengers are not obliged to do so.

As stipulated in Govt Regulation No. 43, 1993, Article 100,
the seat belt requirement will be effective on Sept. 17, 1998.
The ruling was made six years ago when nobody anticipated the
current economic crisis.

Q: What about public transportation?

A: Many public transportation vehicles usually carry more than
one passenger in the front seat next to the driver. This is
actually against the law, which prohibits vehicle designs
allowing more than one passenger sitting beside the driver. But
considering the public's need for transportation, we had to bend
the regulation a bit. So we're giving special consideration for
public transportation, requiring only the driver to wear a seat
belt.

Our main target is cultivating motorists awareness of the
importance of seat belts.

Q: Will violators automatically get ticketed?

A: The public should not panic about this new ruling or the
amount of penalties.

Socialization of the new regulation started five years ago
when the 1993 government regulation was launched, and it has been
intensified during the past three months.

So the public is expected to already have a clear picture of
the importance of seat belts and the new regulation. I expect
they will not be surprised when the ruling is implemented.

Nevertheless, the city police will not immediately give
penalties to motorists who fail to wear their seat belts, but
we'll act persuasively in enforcing the new regulation. We will
prioritize efforts to increase public awareness.

We will persuade people, give information and warnings, and
provide examples of the severe impact of a collision (upon
motorists) when not using a seat belt.

Giving penalties will be the last resort. If possible we won't
have to apply them. There's no need for any sanction if the
awareness is already there.

So the public must not perceive that the new regulation will
only provide police officers with an additional authority to
ticket motorists. The policy of the city police chief is to
prioritize developing public awareness that seat belts are for
their own benefit.

As to when we're going to implement the new regulation with
sanctions, we'll have to evaluate the new ruling first before
applying any penalty.

Based on the 1992 law, any violation of the seat belt
regulation can actually receive a penalty.

But we understand the hardships and the financial difficulties
of the people due to the crisis.

But I... expect people to use seat belts even though we're
not giving any sanction for violating the ruling.

Q: What about cars which don't have seat belts?

A: For cars which don't have seat belts, we'll not force them to
install them immediately. There will be a grace period of two
years.

So people don't have to be in a hurry to go to shops to put
seat belts in their cars. It's better to concentrate their
budget on providing food and other basic necessities.

Thus, the implementation of this new seat belt ruling won't be
so strict.

Q: Even so the penalties seem excessive...

A: According to the law, the maximum fine is Rp 1 million or a
one-month jail term. But the applying of any penalty in the
Jakarta area would be based on that table of penalties on traffic
violations, in which a violation involving seat belts is fined Rp
75,000.

The table was jointly developed by the courts, the Attorney
General's office, and the police to provide standard penalties
for traffic violations. So the public should not be haunted by
the Rp 1 million maximum penalty.

But once again, although the penalty is not as severe as
stipulated in the 1992 law, we're not going to apply it at the
moment. We're going to make an evaluation first.

Besides, our main target is how to make the public conscious
that the seat belts are for their own good. We don't expect
people to wear them because they're being watched by the police.

The impact from not using seat belts in a car collision is
much more (likely to be) fatal than when you're wearing one.

Research made by an international agency pointed out that a
motorist driving his car at 90 km per hour without wearing a seat
belt who braked abruptly or experienced a collision was the same
impact as falling from a height of nine meters.

If the car is traveling at 120 km per hour, (the impact of the
collision) would be equivalent to like falling from a height of
12 meters. You can just imagine the severity from negligence
about seat belt use.

The other risk (of failing to wear seat belts) is loss of
concentration when you come to a bumpy road in high speed because
you would be severely jolted.

This could be fatal not only to you but also to other people
walking or driving on the same road.

So fatalities could be reduced with the use of seat belts
though I don't have the figures.

Q: Will there be a certain standard of seat belt to be used?

A: No I don't think so. The regulation doesn't stipulate any
special standard requirement.

But the important thing is that the seat belt can provide
security for the driver and the passenger in case of abrupt
braking or collision.

Q: How do you rate traffic discipline in Jakarta?

A: Traffic violations in Jakarta are still high. This indicates
that the traffic discipline of the people must continue to be
improved.

We expect the public to consciously improve their discipline.
If we have to resort to force to maintain discipline, the number
of police personnel will never be enough to cover all street
intersections.

Unfortunately, most people in this country only show their
traffic discipline when they are taking a test to get a driving
license.

In relation to the seat belt ruling, we're not going to stop
cars to check for compliance, which will only create traffic
jams. We'll only remind motorists to use their seat belts as
they pass by. There will be no special troops for the
enforcement.