Fast and furious on the track, famous Spanish MotoGP racers Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa told students at the Michelin Safety Academy (MSA) graduation ceremony that upholding safety procedures and obeying traffic rules were imperative for motorists and could save people’s lives.

Fresh from competing at the Japan Grand Prix last Sunday, the two globally acclaimed racers were invited to the graduation ceremony on Tuesday by French tire manufacturer Michelin to deliver words of wisdom and experience to dozens of students at Hotel Santika Premiere ICE BSD City in South Tangerang, Banten.

“You must anticipate what you can find on the road. The correct protection is important to make sure you are safe all the time, because there are many unpredictable things on the road, including road conditions and a sudden change of weather,” said three-time MotoGP champion Marquez, who took his first driving test at the age of 16 to obtain a license for 50cc motorbikes.

“You have to prioritize safety,” Pedrosa said, adding that people should refrain from speeding on the road and instead become career racers if they wanted to speed.

The MSA program was launched in 2014 and is held annually to teach senior high school students in Greater Jakarta and Banten safe driving procedures. As of 2017, more than 1,000 students participated in the program.

Prior to the graduation, students from 10 Greater Jakarta senior high schools were registered for driving tests, both for two- and four-wheel vehicles, at the Vehicle Document Registration Center in Daan Mogot, West Jakarta.

The students were given theoretical and practical lessons on driving, including basic knowledge on driving preparation, an introduction to vehicles and tires, correct driving posture, equipment and safe driving procedures. They were also instructed on traffic rules and road safety.

After finishing the program, they were required to sign a pledge to be responsible motorists.

In heavily congested Greater Jakarta with more than 20 million vehicles on the road, driving against the traffic flow, ignoring traffic lights or using the dedicated Transjakarta bus lanes is common practice.

A lack of awareness on safety procedures, such as how to use equipment properly or check the tires before hitting the road, exacerbates the situation, contributing to more than 6,000 traffic accidents a year in the capital.

Worse yet, many Jakarta motorists, particularly motorcyclists, have no driver’s license. Jakarta Police records show that 446 of 881 motorists involved in road accidents from June-August this year had no license. During the same three-month period, 137 people were killed on the road and 246 were heavily injured.

Throughout 2016, 678 people died in road accidents, marking an increase from 591 in the previous year.

Handa Lesmana, who heads the Transportation Ministry’s analysis and traffic impact division, stressed the importance of instilling fundamental knowledge on safe driving and riding in students.

“There is a growing phenomenon of parents rewarding their children with vehicles for academic achievements. They feel proud to see their kids drive on the road, although they have yet to obtain a driver’s license. We must prevent that from becoming a culture,” he said

Raihan Riotama, a participant in the program from SMA 8 senior high school in Bekasi, said nobody had taught him about such thorough safety procedures, and he admitted that before joining the program, he was reckless in failing to check his vehicle’s condition.

“I didn’t know that certain road conditions require different tires. I also never checked my tire pressure before driving,” said the 17-year-old, who passed a driving test.

“Most of the students understand the basic traffic rules. They were just not aware that a small violation can have huge consequences,” said Fitra Eri, a trainer in the program.

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