The wet season often spells higher risks on the city's roads, from slippery streets to the inevitable floods, drivers must take extra safety precautions during this time.
"I always keep a spare spark plug with me when I ride *my motorcycle* during the wet season, because if the spark plug is exposed to water, the engine stops," said Arfan, a resident of Tebet, South Jakarta.
To Arfan, who rides his motorcycle to work everyday, safety is no trifle matter.
"Safety is very important to me. For example, I always use a helmet that covers my face to avoid objects, such as pebbles, flying at my face, and I always make sure that my tires are in good condition," he said.
His words rang especially true this Sunday, as the third Sunday of November is marked by the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
Last year, the Jakarta Police recorded more than 272,000 traffic violations and at least 1,169 fatalities from road accidents in Jakarta - a city known for its notoriously congested and chaotic traffic.
The number of deaths increased from 2007, in which 1,085 died from traffic accidents.
However, despite the numbers and the extra effort necessary during the wet season, not all drivers are keeping their vehicles in top-notch condition this wet season.
Heri, a resident of Manggarai, South Jakarta, admitted that he uses a secondhand front tire for his 10-year-old motorcycle.
"I haven't got enough money to buy a new one yet," he said Sunday, chuckling.
Heri said that he bought the secondhand tire near his house. The tire's treads were re-carved by the seller to make it look new, covering its old and bald look.
The secondhand re-carved tire cost him around Rp 15,000 (around US$1.6), while a new one costs at least Rp 70,000, he said.
"I have been using that *secondhand* tire for three months now ... Using a secondhand front tire is alright, but I won't use a secondhand back tire because the risk is far higher," he said.
However, Heri said the secondhand tire often caused him trouble.
"I don't feel comfortable using it *the secondhand tire*, it often gets out of control," Heri said.
Yogi, a young man who works in the tire business said that he provided car users with "vulcanized tires" for Rp 75,000.
A vulcanized tire, or ban vulkanisir is an old tire, which is revamped using the technique of adding an extra layer of rubber to its surface before re-carving its treads.
It differs from the tire Heri bought, because the re-vamping process involves a new rubber layer, rather than just carving new tread into the existing rubber.
"Don't worry, it's safe. Around 60 percent of the cars in this country use ban vulkanisir," Yogi claimed, as he sat among rows of tires displayed on the side of the road in Jatibaru, Central Jakarta.
A new, regular car tire costs around Rp 600,000.
"Vulcanized tire last for about seven months," he said.
Jakarta Transportation Agency head Riza Hasyim said the usage of vulcanized tires as front tires was forbidden for public transport vehicles or trucks delivering goods.
"It's dangerous. If the brakes fail the tires can spin out of control, or even come off the vehicle, especially during the wet season," Riza said.
Ai, Heri's neighbor who drives a car and was once a car-modifying enthusiast, said that he would never use vulcanized tires.
"It's very unsafe. Bald tires are not meant to be reused because the rubber quality is poor. I modify my cars, but I always go for safety and rules first," Ai said.
But some Jakartans abide by the rules to keep themselves safe from the police rather than accidents.
"I previously only used my motorcycle to drive around the neighborhood, so I didn't bother with safety equipment. Now that I work in Sudirman, I have to be fully equipped because I pass a lot of police officers on my way there," said Imus, a Pasar Minggu resident. (dis)
