Police warn of dangerous car items

JAKARTA (JP): A senior city traffic police officer has called on vehicle owners to no longer install useless additional items on their cars which could only endanger other road users.

City Police Traffic Directorate Head Col. Hotman Siagian also warned motorists over the weekend against using handphones while driving.

"Do they think that they could fully concentrate on driving while talking on the lines?" he asked.

Hotman said that these days many car owners seem to install useless accessories in their cars which can endanger other people.

As an example he cited high-powered lights installed at the back of the cars which come on when the drivers brake.

"Can anybody tell me what actually is the use of such lights?" he questioned. "It would only flabbergast other drivers behind them."

Another item which might be risky is an animal horn hood ornament, which is found on many vehicles, especially trucks.

"This item might cause serious wounds to people, particularly pedestrians, when the driver drives at high speed and then loses control of the vehicle," the colonel said.

By law, he said, nobody is allowed to install any additional items on or in vehicles without the approval of the Land Transportation directorate.

However thus far the police have not impounded such cars, mostly belonging to the children or relatives of high-ranking officials and rich families.

"At the moment we still have many more important things to do, but, don't worry, we have already focused on such law-breakers as our next target," Hotman stressed. (bsr)