Tourists Warned Of Common But Costly Driving Mistake In Bali

Share The Article

Tourists in Bali have been issued with warnings from police over a common but costly mistake.

As more and more tourists explore the island, police are finding an increasing number of visitors making dangerous mistakes and even breaking the law while driving mopeds and motorbikes.

Contrary to scenes on many roads in Bali, it is a legal and non-negotiable requirement for all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet while driving anywhere in Indonesia.

Though many drivers are seen not wearing a helmet, and enforcement of the law may feel weak in certain areas, police are calling on all road users to obey the law.

According to the Head of Badung Police, AKP Wayan Sugianta, and his team, many foreigners and even motorcycle taxi drivers, known locally as ojol do not wear helmets.

AKP Sugianta and his teams have also found an increasing number of foreigners and local people driving motorcycles that have been fitted with brong exhausts, which create serious noise pollution. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CANGGU | BALI (@canggu_bali)

AKP Wayan Sugianta told repeaters, “In order to create security, safety, order, and smooth traffic in the jurisdiction of the Badung Police, we from the Traffic Unit take action against visible violations that can cause [disturbances]. For example, foreigners do not wear helmets, Indonesians who use brong exhausts, and foreigners who have two or three passengers.”

AKP Wayan Sugianta and his teams have been conducting roadside spot checks in the Canggu areas and have been pulling over drivers who are not wearing helmets, riding with too many passengers, and driving vehicles with brong exhausts. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CANGGU | BALI (@canggu_bali)

He outlined to reporters the importance of wearing a helmet. For many tourists and expats in Bali, driving short distances without a helmet is deemed normal and harmless, with some joking that it’s hard to get into a collision when the traffic is as congested as it often is.

However, collisions are more common than the public often cares to admit, and the implementations are often life-changing. 

There have been hundreds of cases over the years of foreigners coming off their motorcycles into oncoming traffic or being run over by the vehicle behind.

These have often been related to catastrophic or fatal head injuries. To make matters worse, no travel, medical, or vehicle insurance provider will pay for medical bills related to incidents where a driver or passenger was not wearing a helmet.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CANGGU | BALI (@canggu_bali)

Additionally, tourists should also be aware that insurance providers almost never cover incidences where the driver does not have the correct driving license.

It should be noted that most insurance providers require a full motorcycle specific driving license; a car driving license or provision license is not sufficient in most cases.

This is important information to note, as hopping on a motorcycle with or without a helmet and getting involved in a collision, regardless of who is to blame, can result in life-changing injuries and medical bills that rapidly rise into the tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

AKP Wayan Sugianta told reporters, “All local people and foreigners are required to wear helmets. We will take action on a regular basis.”

He also called on tourist motorcycle rental providers to be more responsible with who they rent vehicles to.

He called for providers to consider the capability of the rider before handing over the keys and check their license before allowing the rental period to commence. 

AKP Wayan Sugianta concluded, “We also appeal to the ojol to keep obeying the traffic rules. Advise the passengers to wear a helmet. If a violation is found, we will deal with it.”

During the most recent traffic violation check patrol in Canggu, the most common violation was driving without a helmet.

AKP Wayan Sugianta and his team also confiscated two molecules for being unroadworthy, in addition to four incomplete vehicle registration certificates, and found two drivers on the road without licenses.