Driving in Bali: Safety Guide

Bali.com’s basic safety rules, based on experience!

• Choose a reliable rental company
• Always wear a helmet with the strap closed
• Protect your eyes with a visor or sunglasses
• Closed shoes. No flip flops, never barefoot
• Check the bike before you ride off: brakes, lights, tyre pressure
• No alcohol. No drugs. Don’t drink and drive is not just a nice slogan in Bali
• Expect anything, from anywhere, at any time. This is not a joke
• Do not speed. 25 to 45 km/h is enough almost everywhere
• Roads get slippery during and after rain
• Watch the road for holes, stones and rubble
• The exhaust gets very hot on older bikes. Watch your leg – avoid the “Bali Kiss”
• Get medical travel insurance
• Keep the rental company’s phone number with you
• Carry your International Driving Permit and your national licence

The three reasons people get hurt on a scooter in Bali

1. Not adapting to the traffic and the roads

The traffic itself is the challenge. It works differently from home, so it feels confusing and overwhelming at first. It looks like there are no rules, but there are. The Balinese know them and know what to expect and how to navigate this chaos. You need to stay alert the whole time, because anything can enter the road from anywhere – literally.

2. Overestimating your riding skills

Most accidents involving tourists happen because people overestimate themselves. They ride too fast and do not know how to brake properly when it matters because of lack of experience. Going fast on a scooter is easy, even for a beginner. Controlling a difficult moment, braking hard, or taking a tight corner is what needs practice. And the chances are very high any or all of these skills will be required.

3. Recklessness, alcohol and drugs

It is tempting to have a few Bintangs and ride home late instead of paying for a taxi or jumping onto a gojek scooter. You would not be the first person to leave Bali in a wooden box because a dog crossed the road in the dark, a truck appeared without lights, or a pothole was the last thing you remember before waking up in hospital.

The mixture of holiday mood, alcohol, excitement and ego pushes some visitors to ride far too fast. They put themselves and everyone around them at risk. Balinese people have complained loudly about this behaviour in recent years, and they are right to.

One more thing: noise cancelling headphones. This is a new and dangerous trend. In Bali you hear a hazard before you see it. The horn is how people tell you they are there. If you cannot hear it, you lose the most important warning system on the road.

The basics of Bali traffic

Traffic drives on the left, like in the UK.

• The horn means “please notice me”. It is not aggression
• Many narrow roads and few signs. Bring your phone and use Google Maps or Waze
• Your side of the road will be used by people coming the other way. You do not own the road and you do not have right of way the way you are used to
• Trucks and cars overtake without warning and expect you to make space
• You share the road with dogs, chickens, cows, children, fallen coconuts, parked vehicles and piles of sand
• Changing lanes without indicating is normal. Expect anyone to move at any moment
• Road conditions are poor in places and can change overnight
• Roads close for ceremonies and processions (UPACARA)
• Traffic rarely flows faster than 30 to 40 km/h
• Main roads (Jl. Bypass and similar) run at about 60 to 70 km/h
• Traffic, Traffic Traffic, Canggu, Semniyak, Ubud and the other hotspots can get really busy. Particularly the main roads such as the infamous Jalan Raya Canggu and the shortcuts that run parallel to the coast can be a real nightmare at times, particularly during high season. This is why a scooter is far better to get around than a car.

Meditate – Breath – Let Go | Our 11 holistic principles for staying calm in Bali traffic

1. Do not get angry
2. Do not get offended. Breathe in, breathe out
3. It is not all about you. Do not take yourself too seriously
4. There is no need to rush
5. Nothing is what it seems
6. Anything can happen at any time
7. Let things flow naturally
8. Do not insist
9. Accept others as they are
10. Be aware, anticipate, stay open
11. Stay respectful

Anything can happen, and eventually it will

Anyone can pull onto a main road at any moment without looking. Here the main unwritten rule applies: whatever is in front of you is your responsibility.

A rider cutting onto your road assumes you will see him and slow down. If you want to overtake, you must use your horn so the person knows you are coming. Otherwise they may move left or right without warning. The same rule applies to them: notice and adapt to whatever appears ahead.

Ride too slowly rather than too fast.

Road conditions

Construction trucks deliver sand, stones and building material to sites all over the island. More often than not the load is dumped at the roadside. Nobody is bothered, people simply ride around it. At best someone puts a stick or a branch in the pile to warn you, which is very hard to see after dark.

Small stones and loose chippings mixed with sand and rain create a surface where your tyre loses grip easily. This is worst on wet roads and in corners.