Last month I wrote about my experience renewing my driving license in Bali. It was, as I noted, a pleasant experience. Much more so, in fact, than driving itself usually is. I like driving. As with many teenagers in the United States, getting my driving license was one of the highlights of my life. I’ve been driving since then – 46 years. For a few years, I drove a taxi in Chicago while I was an undergraduate student. It wasn’t the safest job – I was robbed twice, once at knifepoint and once at gunpoint – but I loved the job itself. I got paid for driving, and I met many of the unusual characters for which Chicago is known. When I moved to California, one of my past time activities was driving down on PCH 1 to Monterey and Big Sur or up north of Petaluma along the coast.
When I ended up in Bali and bought my first motorbike, I took many trips around the island, often spending a night here or there just to see what was going on. But that was many years ago, and the island has too many people with too many vehicles now. My road trips have been cut back because it’s just really dangerous out there with the number of crazy drivers increasing by the day – or so it seems to me. So, I was surprised to read the little handout that I received from the police when I was given my license last month.
The document explains the steps to get a license which is helpful as the steps have been changed a bit from the past – you have to get a letter of health from a psychologist which I find interesting. Obviously I didn’t need one. Then there is a list of the main factors in accidents. These I find great: I wish that someone took them seriously.
The ten causes are:
1) driving without discipline – I would guess that this would include texting while driving, going through red lights and stop signs, turning left from the far right lane and on and on.
2) being unskilled in driving – young children out on motorbikes who have no idea what they’re doing might be an example of this
3) being emotional or sleepy – I get emotional when I get sleepy, so maybe that’s what they mean
4) driving too fast – think government officials with the red plates and high school boys getting out of school for the day
5) not staying in your lane and keeping a safe distance – tailgating is considered a must by most drivers; many a time I’ve seen someone slam into the vehicle in front of them because they were right on their bumper and couldn’t react fast enough to stop when the vehicle in front did
6) having a poorly maintained vehicle – maybe those motorbikes that have been in so many accidents that they only have the frame and engine left
7) blownout tire – a common occurrence due to the poor conditions of the roads
8. wet or ruined road – people seems to drive faster during the rainy season when they roads are slick and the results of slamming on the brakes is a nasty fall
9) bad visibility – everyone who has driven the main road from Singaraja through Bedugal down to Denpasar has seen the drivers who are in just so much of a hurry that they pass on blind curves
10) drunk driving – think Saturday nights out in the villages particularly along the east coast road
All of these make a lot of sense so why are so many people out on the road doing exactly what they’re not supposed to?
There is also a long list of requirements for driving a motor vehicle, but I won’t go into the details here. Suffice to say, if everyone followed the directions and requirements on this document, the roads in Bali would be much safer than they are today. But then again, if everyone followed the rules, what would I have to complain about except the weather?
