Tighten your seat belt

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.