Given the capital's high prevalence of both smokers and motorcyclists, seeing a biker taking a long drag at an intersection is a pretty common sight in Jakarta. But perhaps not for much longer as police have begun enforcing a new traffic law that classifies smoking while driving as a form of distraction and a ticketable offense.
The Ministry of Transportation issued a new set of regulations regarding motorcycle safety last month and while many of the rules pertained to motorcycle taxi drivers (known locally as ojek online or ojol for short) others rules, including the classification of smoking as a dangerous driving distraction (in the same category as using a mobile phone while driving), apply generally to all motorcyclists.
Although the new regulations did not set out specific sanctions for the act, police said that motorcyclists caught smoking would be charged with violating Article 283 of the 2009 Traffic Law for driving while distracted, which carries a maximum penalty of 3 months in jail or a IDR750,000 fine (US$52).
"Smoking while riding a motorcycle can reduce concentration. If concentration is reduced it can have fatal consequences, threatening the safety of drivers and other people," Jakarta Police Commissioner M. Nasir said on Sunday as quoted by Viva.
Nasir said the regulation had been officially enforced since March 11 and in that time 652 motorcyclists have received tickets for smoking.
Do you think smoking while driving a motorcycle should be a ticketable offense? Let us know in the comments.