Those victims of traffic accidents not only involved civilians, but also include military personnel and the number of soldiers who died in the last one year accidents was equal to one battalion. It shows that there is something seriously wrong with tJakarta (ANTARA News) - More than 1,500 fatal accidents have taken place in just a month and a half on Indonesia`s roads, raising serious concerns over road worthiness of vehicles and reckless driving.
Police records show more than 1,547 fatal road accidents have occurred in the country between January and mid-February of this year.
"This figure is quite high and shocking," said Inspector General Saud Usman Nasution, head of the Indonesian police public relations division, in Jakarta (on February 13).
He said: "Within one-and-a-half months, there had been a total of 9,884 cases of which 1,547 were fatal, 2,562 involved serious injuries and 7,564 slight injuries."
Most of the traffic accidents involved 9,595 motorcycles, 1,357 public minivans, 207 city buses, and 443 cargo trucks, he said.
"We are very concerned about the situation, and have taken urgent initiatives for pre-emptive action, co-ordination with case evaluation and finding solutions for them," Saud said.
One way to cut traffic accidents is to set stringent standards for driving tests to get licences, and urge the Transportation Agency to improve vehicle maintenance to meet road worthiness, he said.
"Preventive measures could include, guarding accident prone areas, and co-operation with the relevant authorities to check drivers and motorists from exceeding speed limits," Saud said.
The National Police data says 106,129 traffic accidents were registered in 2011, of which 30,629 wer fatal, 35,787 involved serious injuries and 107,281 mild injuries.
According to data from the Asian Development Bank, 37,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in Indonesia in 2005 and 48,400 in 2010.
The number of deaths due to traffic accidents will soar to 65,000 in 2020 if the problem is not dealt with seriously, warned legislator Abdul Hakim, who drafted the 2009 Road Traffic Law, Jakarta Globe quoted him as saying.
The tragic accidents have also prompted the National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) to bring to the attention of the government the importance of protecting consumer interests in relation to poor quality vehicles.
The number of traffic accidents soared earlier this year, with no fewer than 100 accidents involving public buses, BPKN officials said in Jakarta on February 14.
In February this year, based upon media`s reports, BPKN documented 11 bus accidents that killed 37 people and injured 113.
The data included the latest accident registered in Majalengka, Central Java, on February 12, in which five people were killed, four seriously wounded and 12 slightly injured.
The BPKN officials said they regret despite enacting Law No 8 for the protection of consumers, many accidents have occurred involving buses.
They said both human factors and vehicle quality have contributed to the tragic state of affairs. Most of the accidents were caused by the drivers` incapacity and poor quality brakes, BPKN said, quoting media reports.
Therefore, the agency urged the government to pay more attention to issues concerning the issuance of driving licenses, human resource management, and their welfare.
The BPKN urged bus drivers to be more responsible and give top priority to the safety of passengers. It said public bus drivers often exceeded the speed limit and added that public transportation companies must adopt strict driver recruitment policy and be more discerning in hiring drivers.
Additionally, the agency is pushing transportation agencies to impose stricter road worthiness tests, which are required under the traffic law but frequently ignored.
The transportation ministry`s land transportation directorate must make an overall audit on transportation systems, as well as the renewal of operators` licenses, it said.
Among the most serious traffic accidents that occurred in February 2012, was when 14 people died after the Karunia Bhakti passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java, on February 10. Ten people were seriously injured and 38 others sustained moderate injuries in the accident. Bogor police arrested the bus driver who had tried to flee following the accident. The driver was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Also in West Java Province, a bus plunged into a ravine in Wado, Sumedang, West Java, on February 1, killing 12 passengers and injuring 22 others. The accident happened when the Maju Jaya bus hit a truck in front if it before losing control and falling into a ravine.
Sumedang police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Arman Achdiat said, "Investigation into the accident will focus on a possible brake failure, for the present."
Nine people were killed and three others were injured in an accident in central Jakarta on January 22, 2012 in a DUI (driving under influence)-related accident. Afriyani (29), who was riding with her three colleagues in the rented car, was driving at a speed of about 100 km per hour, according to some witnesses.
Reports said, the night before the accident, she had taken drugs and alcohol at a caf� in South Jakarta before driving to a five-star hotel in Central Jakarta to attend a birthday party.
"The results of urine tests on her and her three friends in the car suggest they had taken ecstasy," Jakarta police spokesman Rikhwanto said a day after the crash.
Afriyani has been named a suspect and will face charges under the 2009 Traffic Law for causing a fatal traffic accident, not having a valid driving licence or registration. She may face up to six years in prison, along with a fine of Rp 12 million ($1,344), if found guilty.
The four suspects have also been charged under the 2009 Narcotics Law for drug abuse and may face up to four years in jail if found guilty.
Accidents due to driving under influence of alcohol and drug have raised serious concerns among various quarters.
House Speaker Marzuki Ali said law enforcers must be tough in dealing with the offenders. The legislator urged that the police should practice random blood-alcohol breath tests, as is commonly done abroad.
Those victims of traffic accidents not only involved civilians, but also include military personnel.
Army Chief of Staff General Pramono Edi Wibowo has raised alarm over the rising number of road accidents, in which more than 500 soldiers had died in the last one year.
The number of soldiers who died in the accidents was equal to one battalion, he said.
"It shows the high rate of traffic accidents in Indonesia, suggests that there is something seriously wrong with the driving culture in the country," he said in Surabaya, East Java, on February 15.(*)
Reporter: By Fardah
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
