Many Accidents During Contraflow, Here's the Driving Etiquette

KatadataOTO – The Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) is implementing various traffic management schemes for the 2025 Eid homecoming. One of them is contraflow.

The goal is to reduce and alleviate the congestion that occurs when people return to their hometowns.

However, during its implementation on the ground, several incidents have occurred. For example, accidents between homecoming travelers' cars.

For instance, in a video uploaded by the Instagram account @mbahkromotrans on Sunday (04/06), a car is seen driving in the contraflow lane of the Cikampek Toll Road at KM 69.

Photo : Instagaram @mbahkromotrans

However, shortly after, a silver-colored four-wheeled vehicle from the right side suddenly turned left, entering the first car's lane.

An accident was unavoidable. Both vehicles were reportedly wrecked and had to be towed by the authorities.

Learning from the incident above, drivers should not carelessly change lanes when contraflow is in effect.

“Not all drivers have the reaction to swerve suddenly. So, changing lanes suddenly has the potential to be hit by a car in that lane,” said Sony Susmana, Senior Instructor at SDCI (Safety Defensive Consultant Indonesia), to KatadataOTO on Tuesday (04/08).

Sony explained that during contraflow implementation, the police have placed safety cones to provide a barrier between vehicles.

This is also to maintain order and safety. Therefore, drivers should not haphazardly change their car's direction.

“Bad habits from regular lanes are carried over. Often cutting in with the excuse that the car's nose (bumper) is already in, meaning the vehicle behind must yield,” he continued.

According to this safety expert, this habit is quite bad and carries a high risk of causing an accident on the road.

Therefore, homecoming travelers or car drivers must pay attention to etiquette when on the road, especially when contraflow is in effect.

Photo : KatadataOTO

“The etiquette for cutting in or changing lanes is to use your turn signal first. This should also be done only if the vehicle in the next lane is far enough away and if they let you in, then you move,” Sony asserted.

For your information, the implementation of contraflow during the 2025 Eid homecoming exodus is a mainstay of the police, especially to alleviate the congestion that often occurs on the Trans-Java Toll Road.

For example, during the 2025 Eid return flow, this traffic management scheme was implemented from KM 70 to KM 36 of the Japek Toll Road (Jakarta-Cikampek).