But do you know that there are other little things that may go unnoticed but actually have quite a big role in safety?

• Headrest: Oh yes, the headrest isn’t actually just a place where you can rest your head when you drive along. It is actually there to hold your head (and neck) and absorb some impact in the event of a crash. Think about it: if it’s not there, your neck would just snap behind if the impact is hard enough.
• Understeer: Understeer is when the front of the car tends to slide when cornering (fast). Oversteer is the opposite when the back of the car tends to slide (drifting is mostly about intentonally doing oversteer). Most road cars nowadays are tuned so that it tends to give understeer because understeer is more predictable and easier to correct than oversteer.

Fog Lamps

Fog lamps are named because they are to be used only when.. it’s foggy! Or heavy rain. You know, low visibility situations. Don’t use fog lamps when it’s a clear night (moreover on wet roads when it’s not raining really hard)! Other than it produces excessive glare to other drivers, it’s not safe for you as well. Fog lamps are designed to illuminate only a small distance forward, so you won’t see as much forward as you would have with your normal headlights (dipped/low beam, more to come later). It’s only suitable for low speed driving in low visibility situations.

Dipped Beam

Dipped/low beam, or to what most people say “lampu besar”, is what you should use during normal situations at night. It’s designed to illuminate the most optimal distance ahead without dazzling other drivers on the opposite direction. This is meant to be asymmetrical. That means to us who drive on the left side of the road, the right beam should be lower than the left one. There are standards and regulations too on how long each should illuminate the road. What I can say is that it’s best to leave the settings as it was when you received your car from the dealers. If you alter it.. it’s not only dangerous to other people, but you as well.

High Beam

Please check your indicators on the dashboard once in a while to see if you accidentally turned on the high beam. It really disturbs the drivers from the opposite direction and the driver of the car directly in front of you as well (they won’t be able to glance at the rear-view mirror since your beam would dazzle their eyes through the mirror). If you did it intentionally, turn it off. You don’t need high beam when driving in a city. If you’re driving through a mountain alone (no other cars) at night, then yes you can use it. There’s actually another purpose for high beams too. It is designed to illuminate all road signs (if the road signs placed conform to the standards). But if you want to read a road sign, please only use the high beam for a short period of time and only if you really need extra light to read it.

Oh, and when you want to inform other drivers of your presence, please don’t flash the high beam repeatedly. It’s annoying, blinding, and we probably already know that you’re there. If you think we don’t, just flash it once or twice. It’s enough to get our attention already.

Headlights Color

Did you know that the only approved headlights color on new cars are white? By white, I mean it includes soft white (probably the most kind of white you see on headlights, which is kind of yellowish) or daylight white (the whiter white). Any other colors are illegal, not only because they will confuse other drivers at night (they may think that your incoming car is not a car) but also because white light gives you the most visibility and the easiest on your eyes (other colors may strain your eyes quickly–making them tired). I’ve seen a car on the road with purple headlights. I mean, come on…it’s a car not a disco light. It strained my eyes and before you say anything, I could not look the other way since it would be dangerous to…you know, not look on the road ahead.

Okay enough with introduction, here is the list with no particular order:

• Public transports (Angkot, KWK, Kopaja, Metro Mini, Transjakarta, anything really) – They drive shamelessly, really do not follow any traffic rules and laws or whatsoever, stops wherever they like it (even on the middle of the road), and the police never do anything about it.

• Motorcycles – Okay these are not really cars, but I’m sorry to say this: most bikers are not really human beings. They run through red lights, drive on the wrong side of the road, cuts you everytime, always want to be ahead even though there’s no room, and very impatient.. as in if there’s even the slightest delay (e.g. somebody gets out of the driveway) they honk and wants to drive through you (I mean literally).
• Vans or anything without a “nose” (yes, that includes Toyota Alphard and Suzuki APV or pickup trucks) – Just like angkot, they’re like jackrabbits and always changes lanes abruptly. While thinking that they’re the only ones on the road.
• Toyota Fortuner – Feel like they’re the biggest cars on the road so people would be afraid of them. So they drive like roosters.
• Honda CRV – I’m not sure about the possible reason behind this one..but they do drive like roosters.
• Any plat merah – Yes..they feel like they have the power for everything. Even though they’re really just couriers in the government.
• Older German saloons – I’m talking about 2001 or older BMWs or Mercs. Any series. I think it’s because mostly they’re bought second by people who has just got enough money and want to look cool. Cool…yeah, right. You’re not cool when you open up your window, have a puff, maybe loud music, then drive through red lights. Or crash into someone.
• Taxicabs – This is probably nothing new to Jakarta drivers. But amazingly I’ve seen some very courteous taxi drivers. Bravo to them.
• Bajajs – Well, what more can you say?
• City cars (the likes of Atoz, Karimun, Ceria) – Probably since they’re really tiny they all think they can fit in and no one will be bothered. Except they don’t realize that they have made 10 cars behind them braking abruptly because they just “squeezed” in to the lane.