Tourists Urged To Reconsider Driving In Bali After Recent Tragedy 

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Tourists in Bali and those who are planning their trips to the island are being implored to reconsider how and when they travel around the province.

Bali’s roads are becoming increasingly dangerous, and as yet, more tourists have lost their lives on the roads; tourists must take the warnings seriously. 

A magical vacation in Bali’s Nusa Penida has ended in devastation for a Polish couple. The pair were driving a motorcycle along Jalan Raya Tulad on the evening of Monday, 22nd January.

The couple, known by their initials DP and AB, are both 26 years old. DP is believed to have been the driver of the vehicle at the time of the incident. 

Police have suggested that DP lost control of the motorcycle at a junction along Jalan Raya Tulad in Batu Kandik Village in Nusa Penida. Reports suggest that his girlfriend, AB, and he were both flung from the bike as they careered into a ravine.

@nessieandbecca #drivinginbali is dangerous! And this is coming from someone who is experienced! Renting scooters in SE Asia is pretty normal but Bali is totally different! Even your most experienced drivers will choose to use taxi services like Grab or Go-jek. #balitraffic is a whole other story – sometimes its actually quicker to walk places. #baliscooter #transportinbali #realbali #balireccomendations #balitip #travelcouple #traveltiktok ♬ Stolen Dance (Instrumental) – Milky Chance

AB is believed to have died on impact, while DP is in hospital with serious injuries. The Nusa Penida Police Chief Commissioner Ida Bagus Putra Sumerta told reporters, “[He] who was riding the motorbike, had a fracture in his right arm and abrasions on his forehead.”

AB was evacuated to a hospital in Nusa Penida, and her body was then transferred to Bali Mandara Hospital in Denpasar by boat. DP was rushed for medical treatment at BIMC Hospital.

Police Chief Commissioner Sumerta told reporters, “There are no barriers on the road; it’s also possible that the victim didn’t know how to ride a motorbike; he was nervous and then fell into free fall at that place.”

@lauramaccullagh gotta laugh or ill cry lol #bali #drivinginbali #balilife #baliliving #balilivingexperience #balitiktok #balitraffic #fyp #foryou ♬ som original – isa ✩

He has also called on vehicle rental providers to take greater steps to ensure renters know how to drive before handing over the keys.

Sumerta said, “If they have shown your driver’s license, especially to a foreigner, they will definitely be able to drive a vehicle. Because many foreigners who cannot drive motorbikes rent motorbikes in Bali, and this results in accidents.”

However, this isn’t always the case. In many cases, tourists hand over their car driving license, which countries automatically entitle them to be able to drive a 125cc moped with learner plates.

@serkaltravel 🇬🇧🇬🇷: Driving around Bali can be really crazy since the traffic jam is insane here! At the same time, though, it can be the most relaxing thing you can do if it’s around nature! 😍 📍 On the way to Tibumana Waterfall Save for your Bali trip! 😍 What’s your favourite travel destination? 🇬🇷: Η οδήγηση γύρω από το Μπαλί μπορεί να είναι πραγματικά τρελή αφού η κίνηση είναι απιστευτη εδώ! Ταυτόχρονα, όμως, μπορεί να είναι το πιο χαλαρωτικό πράγμα που μπορείτε να κάνετε αν είναι γύρω από τη φύση! 😍 📍 Στο δρόμο για τον καταρράκτη Tibumana Αποθηκεύστε το βίντεο για το ταξίδι σας στο Μπαλί! 😍 Ποιος είναι ο αγαπημένος σας ταξιδιωτικός προορισμός; ##bali##balisquad##baliindonesia##fy##mpesfypgamw##tibumana##tibumanawaterfall##baliwaterfall ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

In all too many cases, tourists have no experience in driving a motorcycle before they start the engine and drive off into the sunset, resulting in tragedy after tragedy on the road. 

Yet, the risks are still super high since Bali’s roads are so dangerous whether an experienced driver or not.

Just last month, an Australian soon-to-be father of two was involved in a collision on a motorcycle on the island. 

Last week, the family of Kevin Malligan had to make the heart-wrenching decision to turn off his life support machine after he was declared clinically brain dead.

The Malligan family had fundraised for medical treatment and a medical evacuation flight back to Australia after he was thrown from a moped he was riding on as a passenger.

His wife, Leah, told reporters that her husband hadn’t been behaving dangerously while on the moped. 

The Malliagn family made the decision to donate Kevin’s internal organs, which means that his life has now helped save the lives of others.

In the concluding post on the GoFundMe campaign for Kevin, the family wrote, “Our last hours with our son-in-law Kevin were this morning as we all said our goodbyes…We had to go through a traumatic time that no wife, father, mother, dad, or family should have to go through.

They added, “Leah and his dad made the beautiful, generous choice to donate his internal organs. We hope that all these organs are going to help and save as many people as possible to live a healthier life for themselves.”

If anything can come of these two devastating tragedies, it is that tourists will think twice before hiring a scooter and driving in Bali.

Tourists must have fully compressive travel insurance before getting on a motorcycle and are advised to check the exact details of the policy.

In all too many cases, tourists have assumed they would be covered in the event of an incident, only to discover that a very specific set of criteria must be met first.