Track races go on amid police prohibition
Track races go on amid police prohibition
Damar Harsanto
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
A regular "track race" turned out to bring bad luck to Dwi Karno,
21, as he hit a police patrol car during a race with his peers on
Jl. Benyamin Sueb in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta on Tuesday.
Two police officers, Second Insp. Pujiono and Second Brig.
Gustomi drove to the scene after they were given information of
the race that often took place there.
Upon their arrival, Dwi lost control of his speeding Suzuki
Satria motorcycle and hit the patrol car. His motorcycle was
badly damaged and he fractured his right ankle. The front window
of the patrol car was shattered and the front part of the car
body was dented.
Jakarta Police Traffic Division chief Sr. Comr. Sulistyo Ishak
said that police have been intensifying monitoring several
locations where such races frequently occurred.
"We have identified 13 locations in the city which have been
regularly used by youths to have these races. We have deployed
more personnel to monitor those places," he said.
Sulistyo said that police banned racing on streets for safety
concern.
"Racing on streets will put other motorists' lives and theirs
in danger. Most of the youths tend to ignore traffic regulations
when speeding with their friends," he said.
Most of the youths raced prior to the breaking the fast time.
The Jakarta Post observed that the races usually took place on
Jl. Benyamin Sueb, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta; Jl. Arteri Pondok
Indah, South Jakarta; Jl. Casablanca, South Jakarta; Jl. Puri
Kembangan, West Jakarta; and Jl. T.B. Simatupang, South Jakarta.
Law No. 14/1992 article 61 par. 3 on traffic stipulates that a
motorist who uses the road not in line with the road rules will
face up to a Rp 1 million (US$117.65) fine or a maximum sentence
of up to one month in prison.
For breaking the traffic regulation, they will face a similar
sentence and the same fine as stated in Law article 61 par. 1.
Police will also intensify their patrol on roads prone to
traffic accidents, traffic congestion and traffic violations.
"We have been monitoring 46 roads closely as many traffic
accidents occur there," Sulistyo said, adding that most of them
are located in South Jakarta and Bekasi.
The worsening traffic woes added with the increasing traffic
accidents and traffic violations, police have launched its
Operasi Zebra Simpatik Jaya 2003 to take stern measures to
violators.