Fidelis E. Satriastanti – The National Police have vowed to re-evaluate transportation preparations for mudik, the home-bound journeys at the end of Ramadan, after the number of accidents and fatalities this year surged compared to 2010.
The police's National Traffic Management Center recorded 3,818 accidents between Aug. 23 and midday on Sept. 4. Idul Fitri, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, fell on Aug. 31 this year. The accidents resulted in 633 fatalities, 1,068 severe injuries and 2,650 minor injuries.
By contrast, there were 2,382 accidents in a 10-day period around Idul Fitri last year, which fell on Sept. 10. The number of fatalities last year was 574, with 730 severe injuries and 1,413 minor injuries.
Gen. Timur Pradopo, the National Police chief, said on Saturday that an evaluation of the safety measures adopted this year would be conducted in an effort to establish the reasons for the increase in accidents.
"We'll conduct an evaluation after the Idul Fitri holidays are over so that next year's travels can be organized better and the number of accidents can be significantly reduced," he said.
He added that although the number of accidents had increased markedly, the flow of traffic in general was fairly smooth this year.
In North Sumatra, police said that 71 people died in road accidents during the mudik period. Adj. Sr. Comr. M.P. Nainggolan, the provincial police spokesman, said the fatalities came from 169 accidents recorded between Aug. 23 and midday on Sept. 4. There were also 118 cases of serious injuries and 199 of minor injuries.
The issue of mudik safety grabbed national attention over the weekend with news of the death of a celebrity in a high-speed highway crash.
Virginia Anggraeni, the wife of dangdut singer Saipul Jamil, was killed on Saturday when the car being driven by her husband slammed into the concrete median at the 97-kilometer mark of the Cipularang toll road, heading from Bandung to Jakarta.
The couple were among the 11 people reportedly in the eight-seat car. Police have confirmed that no other cars were involved in the accident.
Iwan Mulyawan, a spokesman for toll-road operator Jasa Marga, said Virginia died at the scene. The injured, including Saipul, were taken to Efarina Etaham Hospital in Purwakarta, West Java. The authorities have not determined the cause of the crash, although unconfirmed media reports said Saipul may have been drowsy at the time.
This year, it is estimated that up to seven million people from Jakarta and its surrounding cities traveled for Idul Fitri.
[Additional reporting by Antara.]