Tighten your seat belt

It is surprising that most drivers in Jakarta, home to more than two million cars, are reluctant to wear seat belts, putting their lives at risk in case of accident.

Since Nov. 5, all drivers and passengers in the front seats of vehicles have been required to wear seat belts, as stipulated by Ministry of Communications Decree No. 85/2002, which regulates the implementation of Article 23 of Traffic Law No. 14/1992.

During the first two days of an initial six-month trial period, we learned that wearing a seat belt seems somewhat burdensome to most drivers in Jakarta. Many of them said there was no reason to wear a seat belt because most of the streets in the city were so congested with traffic.

There were similar reservations in the 1980s when motorcyclists were required to wear helmets. However, the complaints gradually faded away as the public became aware of the importance of protecting themselves on the roads.

It is clear that the 11-year-old Traffic Law has yet to gain wide acceptance. According to the law, those who fail to wear their seat belt are subject to a Rp 1 million fine or a month in jail.

In the meantime, it is interesting to note the attitude of most Indonesian motorists. They never fail to complain if the car they just bought does not have seat belts for the front seats. They also always make sure the new motorcycle they just ordered from the dealer has a proper lighting system. But what happens after that? The seat belts are left unused. Motorcycles speeding along the streets without bothering to signal, or even to turn on their headlights after dark, are a common sight on Jakarta's streets.

The wearing of seat belts, it seems, depends on attitude, rather than any awareness of safety. Car owners should be aware that wearing a seat belt while driving shows respect for their own lives and the lives of others.

Records made available by the Directorate General of Land Transportation indicate that over the last five years, almost 30 people a day have died in traffic accidents across the country. Thirty-three percent of the victims died of serious head injuries that could have been prevented had they been wearing seat belts.

What makes motorists defy traffic regulations?

The government recently announced plans to require all privately owned vehicles to undergo periodic roadworthiness tests -- as required by the Traffic Law -- beginning next year.

Drivers responded to this announcement with protest, saying that roadworthiness tests for vehicles would only enrich those officials in charge of the testing. Car owners, it seems, would prefer to bribe the officials to get a roadworthiness certificate.

Many people have suggested the government clean up its own offices before testing vehicles. The public's defiance of traffic regulations is mainly the result of poor law enforcement. Every day across Jakarta traffic violations take place in plain view, including the illegal occupation of sidewalks, which according to the Traffic Law is subject to a maximum fine of Rp 1 million or one month in jail.

We can only sigh every time we see the police allow motorists to violate the rules. We can only guess at what is on the officers' minds. While such ignorant officers are found everywhere, people are fed up with the unscrupulous officers who take bribes to allow traffic violators to walk free. But both motorists and law enforcers have failed to respect and promote traffic regulations for years.

With most people uncertain whether traffic will ever get better in the future, especially in big cities like Jakarta, the government is attempting to restore its authority by gradually implementing the almost-forgotten Traffic Law.

The step-by-step implementation of the law indicates that the government is acting with great prudence as it tries to anticipate the possible reaction from the public, which has become suspicious that anything related to traffic regulations ends up in bribery.

The six-month trial period the government has given motorists to become accustomed to the seat belt regulation should help drivers abide by the law. However, it is imperative that all parties, including the military, police officers and government officials, be bound by the law. Everyone must honor the Traffic Law. Only in this way will it eventually be properly respected and endorsed by the public, government officials and law enforcers.

Let us hope that, as of today, drivers will tighten their seat belts the moment their cars begin to move.