Island traffic violations up 15.47 percent in 2017, but at least accidents were down: Bali Police

Bali Police recorded a 15.47 percent increase in traffic violations on the island in 2017, up 15.47 percent from 6.3 million violations to 7.42 million, but at least they noticed a reduction in traffic-related accidents.

“In general, the level of traffic violations in Bali is quite high. I, along with my officers have often seen many motorcycle drivers committing such violations,” Bali Police Chief Insp. Gen. Petrus R. Golose said in Denpasar on Thursday, kicking off the launch of “Operation Safety Agung 2018.”

Operation Agung is an annual occurrence across different regions in Indonesia, where a concentrated effort is made by traffic police for cracking down on traffic violations. 

In Bali, violations are especially common on Jl. By Pass Prof. Ida Bagus Mantra because freight trucks often use the right lane instead of sticking to the left late, says Golose.

“It’s also my request (that drivers) be disciplined and we from the police side must also demonstrate a culture of orderly traffic, that’s better for society,” Golose said, as quoted by Antara.

As for road accidents, Golose cited a decrease in 2017, of 98,419 recorded accidents, as opposed to 105,374 in 2016.

“The death toll from traffic accidents in 2017 reached 24,213 people, while in 2016 the number was 25,859 people,” he said, citing a national figure (which some estimate is even closer to 30,000) for reference. 

Some of the most common causes of accidents in Bali, especially involving motorcycles, is use of mobile phones when driving, taking more than one passenger on the backseat, and having drivers that are not old enough.

 Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for clarification purposes.