During Eid Al Fitr holiday travel in Indonesia, traffic is typically heavy for a few weeks. This phenomenon occurs because millions of people are traveling to their hometowns. During this holiday, the number of traffic accidents also increases significantly. Consequently, traffic congestion due to accident occurs.
Sometimes, this congestion lasts for hours and travelers cannot reach their hometown as scheduled. This can lead to fuel wastage, health problems, and high carbon emissions. As a result, the Indonesian government must prevent this traffic problem by sending emergency traffic alerts.
Traffic Congestion Due to Accident: How it Happens
Traffic accidents often cause traffic jams during holidays. According to research, about 25% of traffic congestion is due to those accidents.
Vehicle crashes can cause traffic because of various reasons.
Because of a traffic accident, cars, trucks, buses, etc. close to the scene must slow down, stop, or move over to escape the collision. Consequently, other vehicles far behind them will have to do the same. Therefore, the traffic cannot flow smoothly.
Sometimes, the vehicles involved in the accident are big vehicles, such as trucks and buses. Therefore, they can block all road lanes, reducing road and intersection capacities and causing traffic jams.
Vehicles involved in accidents typically need to wait for emergency vehicles to rescue them. Therefore, they may block the road for hours, disrupting traffic flows and reducing road capacities. Consequently, traffic accidents congestion will occur for many hours.
Traffic accidents also trigger travelers to slow down to look at the crashes. This curiosity can disrupt the flow of the traffic.
On the other hand, traffic jam due to car accident also increases the risk of vehicle crashes. These crashes happen because travelers stuck in traffic may lose their patience. Therefore, they drive aggressively and switch lanes carelessly.
Other Causes of Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion due to accident is not the only problem Indonesian travelers must deal with during the Eid Al Fitr holiday travel. Floods, earthquakes, and other natural hazards frequently hit Indonesia. These disasters and other factors can lead to traffic jams.
Below are factors causing traffic congestion in Indonesia.
Bad Weather
In Indonesia, bad weather typically occurs during the wet season. This season lasts for 6 months, from October to March. Bad weather is commonly heavy rain accompanied by strong winds or a thunderstorm.
During this weather, most vehicles will lower their speeds to avoid collisions. Therefore, this condition will slow down traffic flow and cause congestion.
Landslides and Floods
Many locations in Indonesia are vulnerable to landslides and floods during the wet season. Consequently, roads in these regions are not passable when one of these hazards occurs.
This condition will cause travelers to take other routes, which can lead to increased traffic volume of the alternative routes. As a result, traffic jams may occur on particular roads and intersections.
Inadequate Public Transport and Potholes
Many Indonesians prefer to travel using their private vehicles to public transport. They avoid public transport because it is inadequate. Some buses are not in good condition and others have reckless drivers.
In addition, small towns typically do not have adequate public modes of transportation. Consequently, roads are full of private vehicles which can lead to congestion.
Aside from the inadequate public transport, many roads in Indonesia are full of potholes. Therefore, vehicles must navigate around them or slow down. This condition is one of the causes of traffic jams.
Road Maintenance
Road maintenance is another cause of traffic congestion. This maintenance typically slows the traffic flow, reduces road capacities, and creates bottlenecks. Consequently, traffic congestion will occur.
Traffic Emergency Alerts to Reduce Traffic Congestion
Traffic jam due to accident or other factors are extremely inconvenient for travelers. Therefore, Indonesian authorities must use a traffic emergency alert system to reduce traffic congestion. This system has many components. One of them is a cell broadcaster to disseminate emergency traffic alerts.
The broadcaster will target these alerts to mobile phone users within its radius. This technology allows local authorities to warn travelers near the congestion location. Consequently, travelers can avoid traffic congestion.
A traffic emergency alert system also offers many great features. For example, it does not require a database to send alerts because it sends alerts via the radio cells of a cellphone network. Moreover, this system is affordable because it allows authorities to send warnings for free.
Traffic congestion due to accident is a common phenomenon in Indonesia during the Eid Al Fitr holiday travel. However, local authorities can reduce traffic congestion by sending cell broadcast traffic alerts. To send these alerts, they can purchase the broadcaster on smsbroadcaster.com.
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