Bali Police are warning tourists to respect the law while driving on the island.
Self-driving a moped is one of the most popular, affordable, and flexible ways to explore the province; however, every year, hundreds of tourists end up in the hospital after getting into trouble on Bali’s roads.
Bali Police are calling on moped rental providers to be more selective with who they rent vehicles to. Tourists are also being called to take full responsibility for their behavior on the roads and be extra cautious about the condition of the vehicles that they are renting.
The renewed calls are being issued by Bali Police as a result of more videos going viral of tourists driving recklessly on the island’s busiest roads and most popular vacation destinations.
Badung Police Traffic Unit Chief, AKP Ni Luh Tiviasih, told reporters ‘We at the Badung Police have taken various measures to enforce order. For example, the viral video of a foreigner driving recklessly, even though we frequently conduct community education activities related to traffic. We are continuing to follow up on information regarding this incident.”
Bali Police have not only received increased reports of foreigners driving recklessly, but also not wearing helmets. Indonesian law is clear: all drivers and passengers on motorcycles must wear helmets at all times. Although many drivers, both local and tourists, choose not to wear helmets while driving motorcycles, this is always a legal offense.
Bali Police have confirmed that four tourists were caught driving without helmets and using the car lane on the Ngurah Rai Toll Road last week alone. The Head of Public Relations Sub-Division, AKBP Ketut Aka Jaya, confirmed to reporters that all four foreigners were fined for their driving offenses. AKBP Jaya shared, “Bali Police Traffic Directorate personnel humanely appealed to the foreign nationals to comply with traffic regulations in force in Indonesia.”
Not wearing helmets and driving dangerously are the top traffic offenses by tourists and foreigners in Bali, and as a result, Bali Police and the Armed Forces are working to help educate drivers as to the rules. This is also an issue the police are seeing with Bali-based Indonesian drivers, too.
As part of the 79th Anniversary of the Air Force Military Police (POMAU) celebrations over the weekend, offers from I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Force Base, together with the Kuta Police, distributed free helmets to motorcyclists.
A total of 79 helmets were gifted to drivers who were caught not wearing safety equipment on the roads around I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.
Drivers were pulled over, spoken to about the importance of wearing helmets, and educated as to the legal implications of not doing so if they are caught again.
Speaking to reporters, Kuta Police Chief, Commissioner Agus Riwayanto, shared that the road safety drive was not only an anniversary celebration, but also a moral call to action to encourage the public to be more disciplined in adhering to road safety protocols. “Through this activity, we want to foster a culture of orderly traffic, because safety is a shared responsibility.”
Tourists planning on driving in Bali must ensure that they have a full international driving license that permits them to drive the specific vehicle that they rent.
For example, some car driving licenses permit drivers to drive a 50cc motorcycle; however, most mopeds available to hire in Bali are at least 125cc. In which case, a separate motorcycle driving license is needed.
Additionally, tourist must check their travel and health insurance policy to understand whether traffic-related emergency health care is included in their policy, as in many cases it is not.
Tourists are highly advised to rent a motorcycle from a trusted provider, and are reminded to assess the quality of the vehicle before driving away. Ultimately, if in doubt, there are always plenty of motorcycle and car taxi services available throughout Bali’s top tourism resorts day and night.
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