Police warn of dangerous car items

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)