We know that this safety mandate does not belong to us but belongs to the nation
Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi campaigned for driving safety at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), here, on Saturday.

In the Road Safety Campaign event, Mahfud, Sumadi, and Marsudi rode a motorcycle while wearing a helmet followed by several motorcycle riders, starting from Grha Sabha Pramana to the BNI Food Park UGM.

"We know that this safety mandate does not belong to us but belongs to the nation. Coincidentally, the Ministry of Transportation is the one carrying it out," Sumadi noted.

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The dissemination of information about safety in driving and campaign should continue to be conducted, specifically for motorcycle riders, given that motorcycle users constitute 73 percent of the vehicle accident victims in Indonesia, he remarked.

"Some 73 percent of the accidents involve motorcycles, and majority of the users are youngsters, and with small steps to remind them, we expect that things can become better," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Mahfud said that the driving safety campaign becomes important, as several lives have been wasted due to accidents on the road.

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This is important especially since the rate of traffic accidents is higher than the number of COVID-19 victims and far higher than other diseases, he affirmed.

"To this end, we welcome the activity of the Ministry of Transportation's Transportation Directorate General that the state has tasked to ensure and maintain traffic safety on the road," he noted.

UGM Rector Ova Emilia noted that driving safety is related to a person's behavior.

Emilia expects youngsters, including university students, who constitute majority of the motorcycle users, to be vocal about this crucial aspect and set an example for the people on driving safety.

Holding a driving safety campaign in campus is good since majority of the motorcycle users are youngsters, she remarked.

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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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