Not Just To Ticket Person Who Open The Ambulance Road, Police Also Need To Take Action On Cars That Strobe Recklessly

Illustration (Instagram/tmcpoldametro)

JAKARTA - The viral video of police ticketing a motorcyclist for helping pave the way for an ambulance has sparked controversy. Apart from that, this police courage must be transferred to other issues. One of them ticketed a car driver who used a strobe haphazardly.

Not long ago, a motorcyclist was ticketed by the police for helping to open a road or escorting an ambulance that was stuck in traffic. In the video circulating on TikTok, the police warn motorists that escorting ambulances is not the responsibility of residents or motorbike drivers.

"Be careful, don't help the ambulance even though it's in total traffic. Don't interfere, friends, you'll be penalized, you know," wrote the account owner @sennulvc.

"What was your purpose in escorting the ambulance earlier? Helping pave the way? What do you mean by escorting? Do you have any authority over escorting the ambulance?" said the policeman to the motorcyclist.

The video was spread across social media platforms. On Twitter, this is a matter of debate. Netizens are divided. There are those who are against the police, but many also support the officers.

The owner of the @Ratat4x account, for example, said that if civilians are not allowed to escort the ambulance at all, will the police want to escort it? "If civilians are not allowed to escort them at all, do the police want to escort the ambulance every day without being paid?"

Meanwhile, the owner of the @djientrax account admitted that so far he had never seen the police escorting the ambulance. "But as long as I'm alive I've never seen a policeman escorting an ambulance. Maybe I'm not that far away."

Although some netizens were against this incident, not a few netizens supported it. The reason is, some of them have experienced unpleasant things from this habit.

The owner of the @kevinyoga account, for example, admitted that his car was once hit by a motorist who opened the ambulance road. "One of the actions of the civilians who opened the way for the ambulance was driving the motorbike in a zigzag. Meanwhile, the ambulance had already passed far. When he was reprimanded, he encouraged. So who was at fault?"

One of the actions of the civilians who opened the way for the ambulance, was driving the motorbike in a zigzag, while the ambulance had already passed far, when he was reprimanded, the ambulance was already far past, so who's at fault:') pic.twitter.com/LnNSGBL9Uk

— Copjay (@kevinyoga) December 19, 2021

Similarly, the owner of the @tahuteluuurrr account supports the police's action against the motorcyclist who opened the ambulance road. "Because in the field there are so many people who pretend to open roads but they don't know the rules. So it endangers other motorists."

What are the rules?

The Director of Law Enforcement of the Traffic Corps of Police, Brigadier General Pol Aan Suhanan, explained that according to the law, ambulances carrying patients or corpses are one of the vehicles that get road priority. "Without escort, the community should prioritize or give way to the ambulance," Aan told Kompas.com.

And according to Aan, the only institution that is allowed to escort vehicles on the road is the police. "That's mandated by law, yes."

In fact, according to Aan, not all police are allowed to escort vehicles. "It means he must be certified, he has special skills as a bodyguard and so on. There is competence."

Based on Law No. 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation, article 134 states that there are road users who get top priority. Who are they?

1. Fire fighting vehicles on duty

2. Ambulances transporting sick people

3. Vehicles to provide assistance in traffic accidents

4. Vehicles led by the State Institutions of the Republic of Indonesia

5. Vehicles of leaders and officials of foreign countries as well as international institutions who are guests of the State

6. The funeral procession

7. Convoys and/or Vehicles for certain purposes according to the considerations of the Indonesian National Police officers.

Other problems

Even though the police action against the motorcyclist who opened the ambulance road was considered not according to priority, but, for reasons of convenience for other motorists, this should be appreciated. The courage of the apparatus to take such action is also because it is needed to take action against vehicles that use strobe or rotator lights and sirens indiscriminately.

For rare users, it is not uncommon to find cars with black plates using strobes and turning on sirens to open the way. Even though the use of lights and sirens should not be arbitrary.

Not too long ago, a viral video on social media showed a black plate sedan using a strobe and turning on the siren when the road was jammed. Worse, he broke through against the current.

As recorded in Asriedwilestari's TikTok video, the strobe car was facing another car. The female driver who crashed with the strobe car refused to give way. The horns of other drivers were even heard making the car back off while still turning on the strobe lights.

That's how we should act when facing a civilian car that uses a strobe and siren. They do not need to be given a way, let alone to bother to give in. Because indeed, the use of strobes and sirens cannot be haphazard. Even an official's car cannot be arbitrarily fitted with a strobe. What are the rules?

To answer that question, we can refer to Law No. 22 of 2009 concerning Road Traffic and Transportation (UU LLAJ). In this regulation, this strobe is known as a signal light.

As quoted by hukumonline.com, the LLAJ Law regulates certain interests of motorized vehicles that can be equipped with strobes or signal lights. This signal light consists of red, blue, and yellow. "Red or blue signal lights and sirens serve as signs for motorized vehicles that have primary rights. The yellow signal lights serve as warning signs to other road users," it was written.

Blue strobes and sirens are used for police officers' vehicles. Meanwhile, the red signal light is used for motorized vehicles for prisoners, army escorts, firefighters, ambulances, red cross, rescue, and corpses. While the yellow light is used for motorized vehicles for toll road patrols, supervision of traffic and road transportation facilities and infrastructure, maintenance and cleaning of public facilities, towing vehicles, and special goods transportation.

Police patrol car (Source: Special)

Traffic Directorate of Metro Jaya Police, Grand Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo confirmed that only police cars are allowed to use strobes. So when a civilian vehicle, even an official, turns on the blue rotator, the driver must be given a ticket.

"So, if there is a black plate vehicle that uses a rotator, it means that it violates the law. Because those who are allowed to turn on the rotator are when they use official vehicles," said Sambodo, quoted from NTMCPolri.

According to the rules, road users who have primary rights have been regulated in Article 135 of Law No. 22 of 2009. It is written that vehicles with primary rights must be escorted by officers of the Indonesian National Police. So, if it is not escorted, there is no need to give way or make it a priority.

The use of strobes and sirens on vehicles indiscriminately is not without criminal sanctions. The LLAJ Law states that drivers who violate the provisions regarding the use of strobes and/or sirens can be sentenced to a maximum of one month in prison or a maximum fine of Rp250,000.

*Read other information about the POLICE or read another interesting article from Ramdan Febrian Arifin.

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