A tragic road collision in Bali, which claimed the lives of two young siblings, is an all too timely reminder to all road users in Bali to take a risk-averse approach.
20-year-old Gede Krisna Ari Putra and his 8-year-old sister Komang Karna Angga Wijaya died after a traffic collision on the Singaraja-Denpasar Highway this weekend.
The Singaraja-Denpasar Highway is a notoriously dangerous stretch of road. One reason is the high volume of traffic on the single-lane road.
With so much traffic travelling along each single lane at any given time, ranging from agile motorcycles to slower-moving construction trucks and buses, road users are known to embark on high-risk overtaking maneuvers to keep traffic flowing.
Even when overtaking seems safe, dangers await around every turn on Bali’s roads.
The Head of Public Relations of Buleleng Police, AKP Gede Darma Diatmika, confirmed the details of the traffic collision that claimed the lives of two young siblings around 4 pm on Saturday, 24th April 2025. The siblings were driving along the Singaraja-Denpasar Highway, through Banjar Dinas Lumbanan.
AKP Diatmika shared that 20-year-old Gede Krisna Ari Putra moved to overtake the car in front of him. However, as he pulled out in front of the car, he didn’t see a tourist bus driving in the opposite direction.
AKP Diatmika told the media, “When overtaking, at the same time came a bus with the Nopol L 7020 PRK, so the DK 5234 UBO motorcyclist was shocked and made a sudden braking, so the passenger who was carried fell to the right of the road mark.”
He added, “Next, the passenger of the motorbike was hit by the bus that came from south to north, so that a crash occurred.”
Local residents who witnessed the crash rushed to their assistance while others directed traffic around the scene. 8-year-old sister Komang Karna Angga Wijaya is reported to have died at the scene, while her brother passed away in hospital later that evening.
AKP Diatmika concluded “The latest information is that the motorcyclist also died around 8pm. The bus driver, we have still secured for questioning.”
Bali’s roads are statistically amongst the most dangerous in all of Indonesia.
Traffic collision data from the end of 2023 showed that over the course of just 12 months, the number of reported traffic collisions in the province doubled, making Bali the second most dangerous province to drive in in all of Indonesia.
The data revealed that Bali and East Kalimantan were the most dangerous provinces for driving in Indonesia in 2023, and little has changed between then and now.
Every week Bali records fatal collisions, accidents that cause life changing injuries and destroy vehicles. Tourists traveling to Bali are urged to consider whether self-driving around the island is the right option for them.
Tourists who decide to self-drive around the island are urged to be extremely cautious and not to start driving before all the relevant safety protocols are in place.
This included taking out fully comprehensive travel and health insurance and ensuring that the specific policy includes cover for traffic collisions.
Tourists must be sure to have the correct driving license for the vehicle they are driving and be sure to note that a car driving license does not automatically mean that a driver is licensed to drive a motorcycle.
Tourists must also abide by Indonesian traffic law, ensuring that their vehicle is insured, licensed, and roadworthy and that both driver and passengers use the appropriate safer equipment; e.g. wearing helmets or seatbelts.
No matter how experienced a driver may be, Bali’s roads have proven to be extremely dangerous and should be approached as such.
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