Increasing traffic accidents that claimed casualties make people concerned and anxious when they are on the highway. Transportation analyst from Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies (PUSTRAL) of UGM, Lilik Wachid Budi Susilo, S.T, M.T., said that many factors cause a traffic accident on the road, either from public or private vehicles. Some of these factors are dealing with the speed of driving, young age, responsibility for the use of driving license, infrastructure readiness, and accident protocols.
He explained that up to now, people who have driving license are not encouraged to have sense of responsibility that driving on the highway would involve the safety of others. To be able to obtain a driving license, Lilik said, people only need to do the theory and practice exams. In fact, a sense of responsibility concerning the safety of others is more important to be emphasized, not only for private vehicle but particularly also public vehicles.
"In the Law 22/2009 on traffic and road transportation, in fact, it has already stipulated a good rule for accident victims and perpetrators," Lilik said.
On the other hand, there has been no shared understanding among stakeholders, such as from Jasa Raharja, Police, and Department of Transportation.
He pointed out that if the Department of Transportation and the Police focus on the preparation of infrastructure and road safety, Jasa Raharja focuses more on how quick they can pay claims to victims of traffic accidents.
"Besides the amount to accident victims who died in Indonesia is very small, about 25 million rupiah. In Malaysia, it could reach 2 billion rupiah and 3.5 billion rupiah in Singapore," Lilik said.
Lilik added in some developed countries, tripartite insurance system involving insurance companies from perpetrators and crash victims has been going well. Punishment system has been applied, such as fine for the guilty to pay greater compensation. The system, according to Lilik, will also be one of thoughts to be more careful when driving on the highway.
"Once the guilty party has been sentenced, the insurer of the perpetrator will pay to the insurance company of the victims. A year after, the perpetrator has to pay a huge premium that would make him/her more deterrent," Lilik said.
According to Lilik, the implementation of standard driving speed at highways is also unclear. Meanwhile, more public spaces are decorated with billboards and ads than with traffic signs and rules of driving speed limit.
"For example, if a maximum driving speed is 50 km/h, pedestrian access would be limited and should not be mixed with other vehicles, etc.," he said.
Meanwhile, according to Lilik, accident protocol also does not exist. He pointed out that when a traffic accident occur, people should know to whom to report it firstly. When police arrive at the crash site, they are sometimes are confused how to care for the procedure or provide first aid to accident victims.
"The accident protocol does not exist yet. If the police officer carries the body of one victim, it can worsen the injury. This should also be a concern," Lilik said.
As it is known, recently many traffic accidents which involve private cars and public transport occur. The recent cases are at Tugu Tani monument done by Afriyani Susanti that killed 9 people, the deadly accident on Puncak Road, Cisarua, Bogor where the Karunia Bakti Bus from Jakarta to Garut hit shops and several cars. The accident caused by the improper brake killed 14 people and injured 54 people.