Markit
Hey Ron,"Dr. Kresna Wibawa, said his unit treats up to 300 people every day, half of which are traffic accident victims."1/2 x 300 = 150 x 22% = 33 "The saddest tally: 22.7% of those brought to the hospital from traffic accident scene died due to their injuries."I actually tend to believe this figure as the Balinese won't go to Sangla unless its quite serious. If it's just the run of the mill meeting of 2 (or 3, up to half a dozen on one bike) unwary they tend to just treat it themselves or go to their local.
blightyboy
I can remember a time in England when drink driving was just a telling off; crash helmets were an optional extra, and seat belts unheard of. Luckily as road conditions changed, the laws grew with the volume increases. Even so, I lost several friends during the 60s, when the Vespa became the must have accessory, and youngsters started to have cash to spend. I remember coming off my scooter once and my head hitting the road, it's really hard. I guess today there are many accidents involving youngsters, cos the young just don't see the dangers.It was not easy to break old habits, it took huge campaigns to get people to use seat belt for example. The campaigns involved TV ads that were very explicit. They showed what happened to people that went smashing through a windscreen. The campaigns against drink driving were like horror movies.As far as I know there are no serious efforts by the government here to really educate people. We have all seen the motor bike with Ma, with a baby in arms, and Pa and two kids. Ma and Pa with helmets, because that's what the law says, and the kids and baby with no protection at all, cos the law doesn't cover them. Stupid or what. If they came off the bike, the chances are that at the very least the baby would die. I live down the road from a school in Bali, and hardly any of the kids wear helmets. How hard is it for the school teachers to educate and the authorities to actually forbid the kids from coming to school on a bike without wearing a helmet? Even teachers are not aware of the dangers. The government is really not very socially aware or indeed caring; and the police, as we all know, are interested mostly in extracting money from motorists and not educating or keeping the law. So no change on these fronts anytime soon.The deaths here are of course high because the chance of a crash victim with little money getting decent medical treatment is slim, and many doctors are not at all professional, and are just interested in money. Besides the high death rate, I dread to think how many serious spinal injuries and brain damaged victims there are from road accidents in Indonesia.The future for many of Indonesia's motorcycle riders, and their families, is bleak and rather sad I am afraid.
gilbert de jong
alot of pictures of accident victims circulating through FB, wich every teenster seems to have these days...pictures being shared using bluetooth...pictures of decapitated 'bikers', 'bikers' crushed between trucks, sideswiped by car/bike/train...youngsters just laugh about the pictures and dont realise it could be one of them in the future..nor do they think a bit further as to for example the people/family left behind by the dead 'biker'...Big problems need to be taken care of by big solutions...big solutions means spending alot of $$$, wich is probably not available...another internal gov. problem could be not knowing where to start..
Markit
I am told that legally the only time a Balinese is allowed NOT to wear a helmet when on a bike is when he is wearing a sarong - this apparently means that he (or she) is on the way to some ceremony. Perhaps this is starting out with the wrong message - something like helmets are un-religious or something along those lines? I don't know what the answer is but I think we can only lead by good example. So I hope you all wear your helmets too? Yeah Gil I'm talking to you :icon_biggrin:
hermit
I am told that legally the only time a Balinese is allowed NOT to wear a helmet when on a bike is when he is wearing a sarong - this apparently means that he (or she) is on the way to some ceremony. Perhaps this is starting out with the wrong message - something like helmets are un-religious or something along those lines? :[/QUOTE] The official guideline is that balinese do not need a helmet when wearing full templedress,including the headscarf for men,not only a sarong/kain..With typical balinese logic it is said they are supposed to bring their helm with them anyway,because if not, it would not be fair for other people that are fined for not wearing a helm.(nobody does that i think.)It is a long time anyway since i have seen a helm-wearing razzia though.
freetofly
[b]international license[/b]I forgot my license and my hubby is bringing it beginning of march, I have been picked up three times in 1 month!!!!! twice got away with it, small donation and the third time - no luck!! got a ticket and have to go to court on the 9 march. has anyone done this??? he wanted 250 000rp and I didnt have enough, but at the same time they let all the motorbike riders with no helmet go!!! they took my rego papers off me so I have no choice but to go and get them back else the man who hired the car to me will be very cranky. got to love bali!!:icon_rolleyes:
hermit
I forgot my license and my hubby is bringing it beginning of march.I got a ticket and have to go to court on the 9 march. has anyone done this??? they took my rego papers off me so I have no choice but to go and get them back else the man who hired the car to me will be very cranky. got to love bali!!:icon_rolleyes:[/QUOTE] Have your hubby scan (both sides)and mail your license immediately.Print it and have it plastified so it looks official.At least you can prove you own a license in the days to come.They might even be fooled.It might also help if your hubbby has not yet come before the courtsession.You will probably get off lighter if you can prove you already possessed a license when you were checked.
gilbert de jong
@ markithahaha...when travelling out of my little desa on the little bike, I ussualy.. always wear a helmet.. most of the time :icon_lol: when on the bigger bike always wearing a helmet...but the helmet I wear on the harley isn't DOT approved :icon_wink:
matsaleh
DOT approved helmets.... do you think they're any safer? I have one, but it's really nowhere near the standard of my "AS1698 certified" helmet form Australia.
Fred2
Matsaleh I think it just depends on were you buy the DOT sticker from:icon_mrgreen:At least the Australia standards must be past before they can have a Department Of transport approval.Funny how different countries have different rules. If you bring a car from the USA you must change your seat Belts because they don't have safety standards on the seat belts, just the fitment of the belts.In Indonesia it just depends on how good you copy the sticker & you don't have to prove anything.:icon_lol:
gilbert de jong
DOT approved helmets.... do you think they're any safer? I have one, but it's really nowhere near the standard of my "AS1698 certified" helmet form Australia.[/QUOTE] I don't think they are any safer then any other helmet, but if for example I would get into an accident wich would leave me handicapped, I can forget about them paying out if the insurance-company would find that I was wearing a non DOT approved helmet. "Snell" having a better certification would be ok though, still would be handicapped but would get paid :icon_lol:Fred2....Sticker? it's not a sticker, unless one would take the time to sand down the helmet, put the sticker on, then clearcoat the helmet till the sticker is like suncken into the clearcoat...lotta time and money :icon_lol: just pulling ypur leg, and know what you meantIndonesia actually has it owns SNI mark for helmets, don't know why though...
motormouth
I have been off the radar for a while, just picked up the thread.My son's school had an 11 year old driving her younger sister to school in a car bought by her parents(believe me this is true, was told to me by a teacher).When the parents were confronted, the father said his little darling has good reflexes as she plays video games a lot...the stinger...the father is a high ranking policeman!!!!!!!!!!!The amount of kids I see driving their motorbikes to school in the mornings @ 6.30 am is staggering.All of them are without helmets and range from@8 to 15 years old.But why is Bali so different to other parts of Indonesian.? Especially here in Denpasar.I am in China at the moment(watching basketball) and there is no such stupidity here.A strong government(police ) is needed and the old chestnut SELF DISCIPLINE.
BKT
We'll I'm not surprised, it is China, I'm surprised you were even able to get onto Balipod seeing as though they block nearly every website... and Russell how are you going to go to China and watch basketball without me?
