Everyone needs to begin nurturing a culture of road safety. e must strictly prohibit family members who are unwell from driving, including ourselves. Nurturing road safety is not easy.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
DOKUMENTASI POLDA JATENG
Police officers check the condition of a car in a rear-end collision on the Semarang-Batang Toll Road, Central Java, Monday (5/9/2022). In the accident, seven people died and six people were injured.
Several years ago, the leader of a nongovernmental organization was found taking public transportation in Stockholm, Sweden. He had failed his driving test several times.
Driving tests in Sweden involve not only theoretical and brief practical components, but also driving directly on urban and rural roads. Participants can be tested for stopping on an incline, driving in strong winds as well as in snowy conditions.
The NGO leader said he was probably not very good at driving, which was why he had repeatedly failed the test. As a result, even though he could afford a car, he has continued to take public transportation. He was surprised to hear that in Indonesia, high schoolers can pass the driving test on the first attempt.
In our country, passing the driving test is not amazing. It is common. So many people drive on highways without a driver’s license. Law enforcement is weak. Road safety has not been ingrained in the people.
The encounter in Stockholm brings to mind several fatal accidents that have occurred in the last few weeks. On Saturday (9/24/2022), five people died in an accident on the Semarang-Solo toll road in Central Java. On Tuesday (20/9/2022), five others died in an accident in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.
DOKUMENTASI DIREKTORAT LALU LINTAS POLDA JATENG
Police officers inspect a car involved in a traffic accident on the Semarang-Solo Kilometer 438 Toll Road, Semarang Regency, Central Java, Saturday (24/9/2022). The accident, which is believed to have occurred because the driver was sleepy, resulted in the death of five people..
Anyone can be a victim of a road accident. For example, several students from the SDN Kota Baru II and III elementary school in Bekasi, West Java, were victims of a truck accident on Wednesday (31/8/2022) that killed 10 people. A few days before that on Saturday (20/8/2022), Achmad Hermanto Dardak, an infrastructure development figure, died in an accident on the Batang-Pemalang toll road in Central Java.
The accident locations vary. They occur not only on toll roads but also on regular roads. They occur not only in Java but outside Java, too. If there seems to be more coverage of toll road accidents, it is clear that there is a reporting mechanism to keep the media informed. However, of course there are many more accidents on non-toll roads that are not covered by the media.
Flaws in road infrastructure can cause accidents. However, it makes no sense to blame the infrastructure. Toll roads that are flat and smooth cannot be blamed for making drivers sleepy. When drivers are sleepy, there is only one solution: rest.
With the number of road accidents in Indonesia, nurturing a culture of road safety has become increasingly urgent. Road safety needs to be internalized from an early age, even from when children are riding a tricycle. Educators must also instill road safety in students.
New breakthroughs are needed while we wait for the law to be enforced. In Bandung municipality, for one, is Ade Irma Suryani Nasution Traffic Park, where children can learn about traffic signs while cycling. Similar parks can be built in other cities.
Everyone needs to begin nurturing a culture of road safety. This can be done, for example, by questioning minors who are found driving motorized vehicles. We must strictly prohibit family members who are unwell from driving, including ourselves. Nurturing road safety is not easy.
